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In this episode of The President's Daily Brief: President Vladimir Putin lays out his demands for ending the war in Ukraine, including major territorial concessions by Kyiv and global recognition of Russia's claims. Israel's Foreign Ministry defends its military after the killing of an Al Jazeera correspondent in Gaza sparks condemnation worldwide. President Trump brokers a peace deal between Armenia and Azerbaijan, ending nearly four decades of conflict in the Caucasus. And in today's Back of the Brief—A Chinese warship crashes into its own coast guard vessel while chasing a Philippine boat in the South China Sea. To listen to the show ad-free, become a premium member of The President's Daily Brief by visiting PDBPremium.com.Please remember to subscribe if you enjoyed this episode of The President's Daily Brief.YouTube: youtube.com/@presidentsdailybrief American Financing: Call American Financing today to find out how customers are saving an avg of $800/mo. 866-885-1881 or visit https://www.AmericanFinancing.net/PDB - NMLS 182334, https://nmlsconsumeraccess.org   Birch Gold: Text PDB to 989898 and get your free info kit on gold Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Last time we spoke about the atomic bombing of Nagasaki. In the summer of 1945, Japan faced its most devastating siege, characterized by an aerial campaign called "Starvation" that crippled its industrial capabilities. As resources dwindled and chaos reigned, the Allies intensified their firebombing efforts, targeting major cities. By July, Japan was on the brink of collapse, culminating in the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, where over 140,000 lives were altered or lost in a blinding flash. As the nation reeled from the destruction, the Japanese leadership was torn between surrender and continuing the fight. They faced not just the threat of American bombs, but also a Soviet invasion looming on the horizon. Days after Hiroshima, the atomic bomb "Fat Man" was dropped on Nagasaki on August 9, resulting in catastrophic casualties and extensive industrial losses. This attack further devastated an already weakened Japan, leaving the Emperor and his government grappling with the dire consequences. This episode is the Invasion of Manchuria Welcome to the Pacific War Podcast Week by Week, I am your dutiful host Craig Watson. But, before we start I want to also remind you this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Perhaps you want to learn more about world war two? Kings and Generals have an assortment of episodes on world war two and much more  so go give them a look over on Youtube. So please subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry for some more history related content, over on my channel, the Pacific War Channel you can find a few videos all the way from the Opium Wars of the 1800's until the end of the Pacific War in 1945.    August 9 stands as a catastrophic day in Japanese history. On this day, the nation faced the devastating impact of a second atomic bomb dropped on Nagasaki, along with the relentless Soviet invasion of Manchuria. Admiral Ivan Yumashev's Pacific Fleet moved to disrupt Japan's maritime communications in the Sea of Japan and provide support for offensive operations. At the same time, Soviet air forces targeted cities across Northeast Asia, striking both Manchuria and North Korea, as well as Japanese convoys in the Sea of Japan. General Twinning led a diversionary B-29 raid on Amagasaki, followed by a significant attack involving 108 aircraft on the rail yards at Marifu. In addition, Admiral Halsey's 3rd Fleet launched more strikes against airfields in northern Honshu and Hokkaido, where U.S. intelligence suspected a large Japanese air fleet and commando force was preparing for a desperate mission to Okinawa. Japanese paratroopers were gearing up for a new mission, codenamed Ken-go, but this time their target wasn't Okinawa. Similar to the earlier May 24 Raid on Yontan Airfield, Lieutenant General Sugawara Michio's Giretsu Kuteitai, also known as the “Heroic Paratroopers,” set their sights on the B-29 complex in the Mariana Islands for nighttime suicide raids. This operation marked the second planned assault on bases within the Mariana Islands, specifically aimed at destroying B-29 bombers. The plan involved deploying 60 transport aircraft to deliver 900 commandos during the nights of August 19 to 23. Around 300 personnel from Lieutenant Commander Daiji Yamaoka's 1st Kure Special Naval Landing Force initiated preparations at the end of June. Originally established for submarine-delivered raids on U.S.-held islands, these forces were now adapted to be flown in 30 Mitsubishi G4M 'Betty' twin-engine bombers, which had the necessary range for an unrefueled, one-way trip to the Marianas. The raid was initially scheduled for July 24. However, ten days earlier, U.S. carrier-based warplanes had attacked Misawa naval air base on Honshu Island, damaging or destroying many of the operation's bombers. Consequently, the raid was postponed to August 19, with the addition of 30 transport planes and 300 paratroopers from the army's 1st Raiding Regiment. Ultimately, however, on August 15, Japan surrendered, and Operation Ken-go was cancelled. Meanwhile, Admiral Shafroth's Bombardment Group unleashed heavy damage on the Kamaishi steel mill. The day after, to assist the Soviets, Halsey ordered additional airstrikes on northern Japanese airfields, causing extensive destruction. However, these were not isolated incidents; they were part of a sustained air-sea siege that had been intensifying for several months. The Allied blockade of Japan had severely impacted food imports, and industrial activity had nearly ground to a halt due to the ongoing blockade and bombings. By this point, six of Japan's ten largest cities had been completely destroyed, and over sixty smaller cities had been reduced to ashes from relentless incendiary raids. This scenario was a powerful manifestation of War Plan Orange in action. More critically, with the reality of Hiroshima's destruction echoing loudly, the Japanese government now grappled with the impending threat of complete annihilation, a grim reality they had never faced before in this war. Though they had recognized their defeat with the loss of Saipan and the initial Yawata raid, the stubborn resolve of the Japanese leadership had pushed them to prolong the conflict for an agonizing 14 months, clinging to the hope of a different outcome. Many now believed that peace was the only path to survival for the Japanese nation. As the crisis intensified, Prime Minister Suzuki and his cabinet engaged in heated discussions. He sought to persuade War Minister General Anami Korechika and Chief of the Army General Staff General Umezu Yoshijiro to accept the Potsdam Declaration on August 9. However, Suzuki and the militants could only agree that if there were any surrender, then it should ensure that the "national polity" or imperial family would continue in any postwar settlement. Anami and Umezu pushed for further, more favourable conditions. First, Japan would demobilize and disarm any IJA or IJN forces overseas. Second, Japanese courts would prosecute any war criminals. Third, after surrender the Allies would not occupy Japan. Chief of the Navy General Staff, Admiral Toyoda Soemu, agreed with Anami and Umezu. To break this deadlock, it became necessary to involve the Emperor directly. Around 2:00 AM on August 10, the cabinet convened with Emperor Hirohito, who ultimately agreed to accept the Potsdam Declaration and ordered an end to all military efforts, initiating the surrender process. Faced with no viable alternatives, all present reached a unanimous agreement. That morning, the Japanese government, through Swedish and Swiss intermediaries, sent an offer to accept the Potsdam Declaration, stipulating one condition: there would be no change to Japan's government structure, with Hirohito retaining his title as Emperor and sovereign ruler. Months afte the war Hirohito said this about his decision to surrender “The main motive behind my decision at that time was that if we . . . did not act, the Japanese race would perish and I would be unable to protect my loyal subjects [sekishi—literally, “children”]. Second, Kido agreed with me on the matter of defending the kokutai. If the enemy landed near Ise Bay, both Ise and Atsuta Shrines would immediately come under their control. There would be no time to transfer the sacred treasures [regalia] of the imperial family and no hope of protecting them. Under these circumstances, protection of the kokutai would be difficult. For these reasons, I thought at the time that I must make peace even at the sacrifice of myself.” Simultaneously, a new military campaign was underway, and several units of General Yamada's Kwantung Army were unexpectedly caught off-guard in Manchuria. In response, he implemented emergency measures and ordered commands to proceed with their plans for delaying operations. Upon learning of the Soviet declaration of war and the subsequent invasion led by Marshal Vasilevsky's Far East Command, Tokyo decided to place General Kozuki's 17th Area Army under the Kwantung Army. Furthermore, they instructed General Okamura Yasuji's China Expeditionary Army to transfer one army headquarters, along with six divisions and six brigades, to support this effort. As directed by Tokyo, the primary objective of the Kwantung Army was to defend Japanese territory in Korea. However, by the end of the first day of conflict, several border observation units had been completely destroyed while attempting to defend their positions. In the east, Lieutenant General Shimizu Noritsune's 5th Army, supported by the reinforced 128th Division, was confronting the main assault by Marshal Meretskov's 1st Far Eastern Front. To the south, Lieutenant General Murakami Keisaku's 3rd Army was engaged in defending against multiple penetrations along the border. In the northern sector, the 134th Division at Chiamussu was withdrawing towards Fangcheng, as planned, while flames engulfed Japanese houses in the city. General Uemura's 4th Army was preparing to face what they expected to be the main assault from General Purkayev's 2nd Far Eastern Front. Meanwhile, the 119th Division had already departed Hailar for Wunoerh, leaving only the 80th Independent Mixed Brigade behind. To the west, Lieutenant General Hongo Yoshio's 44th Army was confronting the formidable armored spearhead of Marshal Malinovsky's Transbaikal Front. Southwest of their position, the 108th Division was redeploying to the Chinhsien area. On August 10, the offensive led by Vasilevsky continued, as Colonel General Ivan Managarov's 53rd Army began crossing the border behind the now distant 6th Guards Tank Army. Recognizing that the 44th Army was not prepared to engage the overwhelming enemy armor in guerrilla warfare across the expansive terrain of western Manchuria, General Ushiroku made the independent decision to order Hongo to retreat to the Dairen-Hsinking line. This was where Lieutenant General Iida Shojiro's 30th Army was already establishing defensive positions. This decision contradicted Yamada's main strategy, which called for delaying the enemy advance at the borders.  Faced with what they deemed an illegal order, the Kwantung Army Headquarters convened an urgent staff conference. During this meeting, several opinions emerged: a sudden shift from established plans would likely create confusion; any attempt to counterattack after a withdrawal would likely fail if the enemy advanced quickly; and abandoning forward airfields prematurely would enable the enemy to advance unimpeded. To most participants, General Ushiroku's decision seemed to deliver a potentially fatal blow to the overall operational direction of the Kwantung Army Headquarters. However, since the 44th Army had already begun its withdrawal as ordered by General Ushiroku, Kwantung Army Headquarters was left with a fait accompli. Thus, they felt compelled to uphold the decision of the Third Area Army Commander, which was subsequently approved by General Yamada. Meanwhile, General Pliyev's cavalry-mechanized units advanced rapidly toward Kalgan and Dolonnor, reaching the foothills of the Grand Khingan Mountains. General Danilov's 17th Army also continued to encounter weak resistance, covering an additional 40 kilometers. General Lyudnikov's 39th Army bypassed the encircled 107th Division in the Halung-Arshaan and Wuchakou Fortified Regions. Here, the 5th Guards Rifle Corps moved toward Solun and Tepossi, while the 113th Rifle Corps advanced southeast toward Wangyemiao. The 94th Rifle Corps had to divert southward to support the 124th Rifle Division. In the east, General Luchinsky's 36th Army launched ongoing attacks against Hailar, with the 2nd Rifle Corps bypassing it to the east. Meanwhile, General Kravchenko's 6th Guards Tank Army reorganized its right-wing column and began crossing the Grand Khingan Mountains during the night, with both columns entering the central Manchurian plain by August 11. To the east, Meretskov continued his offensive. The 17th, 65th, and 72nd Rifle Corps of General Krylov's 5th Army advanced swiftly west and south, ultimately securing Machiacho, Laotsaiying, Suiyang, and Suifenho. This maneuver widened the zone of penetration to 75 kilometers and forced the 126th and 135th Divisions to withdraw their main forces to Yehho. In support, General Beloborodov's 1st Red Banner Army to the north broke through into open terrain, pushing rapidly westward to occupy parts of the cities of Pamientung and Lishuchen, along with their vital bridges across the Muleng River. Further south, General Chistyakov's 25th Army captured Tungning and successfully reduced its fortified region. Units in that area also secured Tumentzu, Hunchun, and Wuchiatzu. Lastly, General Zakhvatayev's 35th Army continued its operations far to the north. The 264th Rifle Division and the 109th Fortified Region seized Hutou and initiated a movement west along the railroad toward Hulin, while the 363rd and 66th Rifle Divisions pressed on with their advance northwestward. In northern Manchuria, General Purkayev continued his main assault, with General Mamonov's 15th Army reconnoitering key enemy strongholds south of the Amur River. After successfully crossing the river, the 34th Rifle Division and the 203rd Tank Brigade occupied Lopei and advanced through Fenghsiang to bypass the Hsingshanchen Fortified Region, leaving a force behind to reduce it. Meanwhile, the 361st Rifle Division captured Tungchiang, and the 388th Rifle Division secured Chienchingkou, preparing for an advance toward Fuchin. In support of these operations, General Pashkov's 5th Rifle Corps cleared Japanese forces from the Jaoho Fortified Region, while General Teryokhin's 2nd Red Banner Army was preparing to launch its offensive the following morning. On August 11, forward units landed at Heiho, Aihun, and Holomoching under the cover of artillery fire, quickly establishing a beachhead as additional forces crossed the Amur. However, due to a lack of crossing equipment, it took five days to transport all units across the river. Consequently, Teryokhin had to commit his forces piecemeal against the 123rd Division and the 135th Independent Mixed Brigade. This was not the only new offensive operation initiated by Purkayev on this day. A new target had emerged: South Sakhalin, known as Karafuto to the Japanese. As per Vasilevsky's plans, Major-General Leonty Cheremisov's 16th Army was deployed on North Sakhalin and along the mainland coast of the Tatar Strait, stretching from Sovetskaya Gavan to Nikolaevsk-on-Amur. If the invasion of Manchuria continued to progress favorably, this force was set to attack the Japanese-controlled portion of the island alongside the Northern Pacific Flotilla, commanded by Vice-Admiral Vladimir Andreyev, which was prepared to conduct amphibious operations against Esutoru and Maoka on the island's west coast. Opposing the Soviet forces, General Higuchi of the 5th Area Army positioned Lieutenant General Mineki Toichiro's 88th Division in the southern part of South Sakhalin, with only the 125th Regiment stationed to the north. Sakhalin shared many characteristics with several of the Manchukuoan border areas, presenting challenging terrain for mechanized warfare. The only viable invasion route south from the border at the 50th Parallel followed the Poronay River, located more or less in the center of the island. This river flows southward, flanked to the east and west by forested mountain ranges, as well as countless swamps and bogs. Both sides recognized the strategic importance of this potential invasion route and constructed extensive fortification networks. The Japanese fortifications were collectively known as the Koton, or Haramitog, fortified region. These defenses were built in three interlinked layers, with their western flanks anchored in the mountain range and eastern flanks in the wooded, swampy river valley. The permanent defenses spanned approximately 12 kilometers in frontage and extended up to 30 kilometers in depth, containing over 350 bunkers, pillboxes, artillery positions, and similar fortifications. These were protected by an elaborate network of infantry trenches, anti-tank ditches, minefields, and barbed wire. The heavy forest and brush made it challenging to locate these defenses. While enough vegetation had been cleared to allow for effective defensive fire, sufficient cover remained to obscure them from an attacking force. Consequently, the 16th Army would confront these formidable defenses without the advantage of surprise. At daybreak on August 9, reports emerged that the Soviet Army had unexpectedly invaded Manchuria from multiple directions. By 8:00 AM, telegraph lines were cut near Handa, a village located at the center of the Russo-Japanese border in Sakhalin. An excellent military road connected Handa to Kamishikuks, a region known as the Central Military Road area. At the same time, reports indicated that enemy forces were attacking the observation posts in this area. On August 10,  observation posts were forced to withdraw as the Soviet Army gradually advanced toward our main position in the Happo Mountains, situated about 10 kilometers south of the border. That evening, it was reported that the 125th Infantry had engaged in a skirmish, during which the Isunisawa Platoon, fighting near the Handa River bridge for over five hours, was wiped out. On that same day, the commander of the Fifth Area Army declared that not only had the Army engaged Soviet forces, but civilians in the area, including office workers and laborers, had also joined the battle in a desperate attempt to halt the advancing Soviet Army. By August 13, the National Volunteer Combat Teams were summoned. The recruitment of these volunteer combat teams from the general populace was unique to the Sakhalin campaign, aimed at creating the appearance of military readiness to deter the Soviet advance. Additionally, the 125th Regiment executed demolitions while retreating to establish stronger defensive positions on the western flank of Happo Mountain, northwest of Furuton. Given the unexpectedly favorable developments in Manchuria, the invasion of South Sakhalin was authorized on August 10. General Yumashev further directed Vice-Admiral Andreyev's naval forces to commence attacks on both South Sakhalin and the Kuriles. Major General Georgii Dziuba's air forces joined the effort, conducting reconnaissance flights over key Japanese ports that revealed Toro and Esutoru were almost entirely unprotected. In the early hours of August 11, the 56th Rifle Corps crossed the border and began its main advance along the central military road but encountered resistance at Handa, where around 100 defenders held them up for an entire day. Back in northern Manchuria, the 5th Rifle Corps embarked on a challenging march southwest toward Paoching, while Mamonov launched a bombing raid followed by an attack on Fuchin, which ultimately fell after a coordinated tank-infantry assault. Concurrently, the 4th Army headquarters and the bulk of the 149th Division received orders to retreat from Tsitsihar to Harbin. To the south, the 112th Fortified Region and the 6th Field Fortified Region crossed the Muleng River south of Mishan during the night. In the following days, they collaborated with units from the 35th Army to secure the Mishan Fortified Region. More importantly, the 26th and 59th Rifle Corps successfully secured Pamientung and Lishuchen, initiating a pursuit of withdrawing Japanese forces to the west and southwest. On August 11, the 5th Army advance continued, with reinforced forward detachments of the 65th and 72nd Rifle Corps reaching the Muleng River and preparing for an advance on Mutanchiang. At this juncture, Meretskov reassessed the situation and determined that his best opportunity for successful exploitation in the front zone lay within the 25th Army area. Consequently, he attached the 17th and 88th Rifle Corps to this command and placed the 10th Mechanized Corps in army reserve. This allowed the 17th and 39th Rifle Corps to commence a coordinated advance toward Wangching, Tumen, Tunhua, and Kirin. Looking west, Pliyev's units continued to encounter minimal resistance. The 17th Army was finally nearing the western foothills of the Grand Khingan Mountains. The lead brigade of the 5th Guards Tank Corps reached Lupei, while the 7th Guards Mechanized Corps completed its crossing of the Grand Khingan Mountains. The 39th Army maintained its holding operations against the Halung-Arshaan and Wuchakou Fortified Regions, coupled with main advances toward Solun and Wangyemiao. The 2nd Rifle Corps and the 205th Tank Brigade advanced along the railroad to Yakoshih. The 94th Rifle Division, supported by air and artillery, launched an assault and captured the southwestern portion of Hailar city before being reinforced by the entire 86th Rifle Corps. Meanwhile, the Soviet operational group on the right flank of the 36th Army broke through Japanese resistance at Manchouli, moving eastward along the rail line to join the Soviet forces besieging Hailar. As the Soviet armored units in the west made an unexpectedly swift advance, they were anticipated to reach Hsinking by August 15. On this same day, Yamada decided to relocate his headquarters to Tunghua. Additionally, during the night, a small naval force successfully conducted an assault landing at Yuki in North Korea, securing the port unopposed on August 12. Simultaneously, the 393rd Rifle Division pushed south into North Korea, quickly reaching Yuki before continuing toward Rashin. There, another small naval force landed on August 12, facing minimal resistance except for artillery fire. Meanwhile, the 25th Army advanced up to 40 kilometers in its main march southwest, prompting the commitment of the 10th Mechanized Corps to exploit further toward Wangching and beyond. The 5th Army had to eliminate a strong enemy position east of Taimakou before it could resume its advance to Mutanchiang. The 1st Red Banner Army pressed forward relentlessly, with the 26th Rifle Corps successfully bypassing Tzuhsingtun to advance on Hsientung, cutting the Linkou-Mutanchiang railroad line. The 363rd Rifle Division occupied Mishan while the 264th Rifle Division secured Hulin. The 171st Tank Brigade began a challenging advance southwest toward Chiamussu as the 15th Army reduced the Fuchin fortified region. Forward detachments of the 2nd Red Banner Army engaged Japanese advanced positions south of Holomoching and north of Aihun. After reducing Handa, the 56th Rifle Corps commenced an advance toward Furuton, although it faced delays from small enemy forces. Furthermore, in western Manchuria, Pliyev's Soviet-Mongolian formations and the 17th Army continued their advance through Inner Mongolia largely unopposed for the next two days. Throughout 12 and 13 August on the Trans-Baikal Front's right flank, the Soviet-Mongolian formations of General Pliyev swept across the Inner Mongolian deserts towards Dolonnor and Kalgan at a rate of ninety to one hundred kilometers a day, rudely shunting aside local cavalry forces. Pliyev's principal concern was providing his forces in the vast desert wastes sufficient food, fuel, fodder, and water. The 6th Guards Tank Army had to temporarily halt its advance as the 7th Guards Mechanized Corps reached Tuchuan. This pause was necessary due to severe fuel shortages, requiring an increase in fuel supplies before the offensive could resume. This situation allowed Ushiroku to withdraw the 63rd and 117th Divisions before they could be engaged. However, the 107th Division was less fortunate, as it was attacked by the 5th Guards Rifle Corps on the road to Solun. On the northern flank, the 36th Army continued its siege of the Hailar fortifications while the 2nd Rifle Corps seized Yakoshih and advanced up to Wunoerh. That day, Japan also received the initial Allied response to its surrender offer, penned by Secretary of State James Byrnes and approved by the British, Chinese, and Soviet governments. A critic of the Japanese imperial system, Byrnes insisted on an unconditional surrender but remained ambiguous regarding the future of the imperial family's position. The response included a statement that Japan's future form of government should be “established by the freely expressed will of the Japanese people.” Thus, even though the Soviet and Chinese governments aimed for the abolition of the imperial system, the Japanese could choose to retain their emperor, and likely would. Meanwhile, Secretary Stimson urged President Truman to accept the peace offer immediately, believing that, without an organized surrender supported by the emperor, U.S. forces would face “a score of bloody Iwo Jimas and Okinawas” across China and Southeast Asia. He cautioned that without the immediate capitulation of the Imperial Japanese Army and Navy, rogue military commanders might continue to resist. Retaining Hirohito would also aid Allied efforts to achieve a swift and orderly reconstruction while maintaining a compliant populace. The Japanese cabinet deliberated over the Allied response, with Anami and Suzuki, among other key military figures, arguing for its rejection unless an explicit guarantee for the imperial system was provided. Ultimately, however, Foreign Minister Togo and Marquess Kido Koichi succeeded in persuading Suzuki to support the acceptance of Byrnes' reply. Meanwhile, President Truman issued instructions prohibiting any further atomic weapons from being dropped on Japan without his approval, and he later ordered a complete halt to all bombings. Despite this, Halsey's 3rd Fleet remained in the area, preparing to launch additional strikes. Admiral Rawlings' Task Force 37 unfortunately had to retire at this point, though a token force was integrated into Admiral McCain's Task Force 38 to ensure British support until the end.  The Olympic timetable had called for Third Fleet to retire to Eniwetok and Manus in mid-August, but late on the night of August 10 Missouri intercepted a cryptic radio transmission: “Through the Swiss government, Japan has stated that she is willing to accept Allied surrender ultimatum at Potsdam, provided they can keep their Emperor.” Halsey had long predicted an early Japanese collapse, and had accordingly kept his logistic pipeline full. The following morning, August 11, flagships Missouri and King George V refueled simultaneously alongside oiler USS Sabine. Halsey recalled, “I went across to the ‘Cagey Five' as we called her, on an aerial trolley, just to drink a toast with Vice Admiral Rawlings.” Although Japan teetered near collapse, TF-37 lacked its own fast oilers and would have to retire immediately. With Nimitz's permission Halsey offered to sustain a token British force with Third Fleet so that the Royal Navy would be in “at the death.” Rawlings enthusiastically accepted. After replenishment, King George V, Indefatigable, Gambia, Newfoundland, and ten destroyers were re-designated TG-38.5 and absorbed into McCain's TF-38. The rest of TF-37, under Vian, reluctantly retired for Manus. In a truly desultory attack the following day, August 12, a single Japanese plane penetrated Buckner Bay, Okinawa undetected and torpedoed TF-95's just-arrived battleship Pennsylvania. Twenty Americans were killed, while Oldendorf and nine others were wounded. Back off Honshu, Halsey canceled August 12 strikes due to a typhoon. Late that night Third Fleet intercepted a confusing and ambiguous radio bulletin announcing that Japan had, with qualifications, accepted Allied terms. After a heated staff conference Halsey decided that, without firmer information, the following day's strikes were still on. Nevertheless, the prolonged negotiations were causing the Third Fleet considerable logistical problems; Halsey recalled, “Our galleys were reduced to serving dehydrated carrot salad. If the war was over, we could provision on the spot; if it was not, we would have to retire, reprovision, and return.” That night, a group of officers led by Major Hatanaka Kenji and Colonel Arao Okikatsu approached Anami, seeking his backing for a coup d'état to prevent Japan's surrender. Anami refused, leaving Hatanaka's conspirators to attempt the coup on their own. At the recommendation of American psychological operations experts, B-29 bombers spent August 13 dropping leaflets over Japan detailing the Japanese offer of surrender and the Allied response. In stark contrast, that same day, McCain's newly Anglo-American TF-38 launched 1,167 sorties against Tokyo, expending 372 tons of bombs and 2,175 rockets. Only seven planes and one pilot were lost, none to combat. Airborne opposition was virtually nil, as Lieutenant-General Kanetoshi Kondo, commander of Tokyo's defending 10th Hiko Shidan, “failed to urge his men to press the attack to the utmost, because it seemed absurd to incur additional losses with the war obviously lost and its termination due in a matter of days.”  Simultaneously, Suzuki's cabinet debated their reply to the Allied response late into the night but remained deadlocked. Back in Manchuria, on August 13, the 6th Guards Tank Army resumed its offensive by pushing reconnaissance units toward Tungliao and Taonan. The 39th Army continued its assault on Japanese units at Halung-Arshaan, while the 5th Guards Rifle Corps attacked and captured Solun. To the north, as the battle for Hailar raged on, the 2nd Rifle Corps engaged the determined 119th Division for control of the Grand Khingan passes west of Pokotu, achieving little progress over the next two days. Looking east, the 2nd Red Banner Army gathered sufficient forces to resume its offensive, successfully penetrating the defenses of the 123rd Division at Shenwutan and Chiko. They destroyed small Japanese outposts at Huma and Santaoka, further pushing the 135th Independent Mixed Brigade toward the main fortified region at Aihun. Additionally, the 15th Army reduced the fortified positions at Fuchin, while the 171st Tank Brigade continued its advance toward Chiamussu. To the south, the 66th Rifle Division finally occupied Tungan, cutting the highway and railroad to Hutou. Meanwhile, the 59th Rifle Corps reached and secured Linkou before turning south toward Mutanchiang. Advance elements of the 26th Rifle Corps attacked and occupied the railroad station at Hualin, though they could not secure crossing sites over the Mutan River due to the fierce resistance of a single battalion. During the night, heavy Japanese counterattacks forced Soviet forces back to a hill northeast of Hualin. More importantly, while the 45th Rifle Corps continued to reduce remaining Japanese strongpoints in the Volynsk, Suifenho, and Lumintai centers of resistance, the bulk of the 5th Army advanced 30 kilometers along the road and rail line, successfully approaching the outer fortifications of Mutanchiang by nightfall. Even farther south, the 25th Army pushed southwestward, with its three formations sharing a single road along the military rail line through the mountainous, heavily wooded area from Laoheishan to Heitosai. In South Sakhalin, the 56th Rifle Corps launched a siege attack against Furuton. However, the fierce resistance of the 125th Regiment successfully repelled Soviet assaults for the next three days. On the same day, in preparation for an amphibious invasion of Toro, two naval patrol craft reconnoitered Esutoru. Additionally, Meretskov approved the Seishin Operation in North Korea, leading to another small naval force landing successfully at Chongjin that afternoon. Soon after, they faced a strong Japanese counterattack, which drove the landing force out of the port and inflicted heavy losses on the Russians. The following morning, a naval infantry battalion was landed to retake Chongjin, but Japanese reinforcements from the Nanam Divisional District Unit arrived to contest the port. As the Russians were pushed back again, Yumashev decided to embark the 13th Naval Infantry Brigade for a third assault scheduled for August 15. To the north, the 393rd Rifle Division advanced south along the coast, reaching Kwangjuryong by August 14. Concurrently, after breaking through the 128th Division's main defenses at Lotzukou, the 25th Army reached Heitosai and prepared to launch its main attack against Murakami's 3rd Army. The 5th Army struck the right flank of Shimizu's 5th Army at Ssutaoling and in the hills southeast of Mutanchiang, while the 1st Red Banner Army attacked the northern and eastern flanks of the city and the railroad station at Yehho on the eastern bank of the Mutan River. The 35th Army began a rapid advance toward Poli and Linkou, encountering negligible opposition. Meanwhile, the 5th Rifle Corps reached Paoching, drove off its garrison, and continued marching toward Poli. In addition, the 15th Army finally reduced the Hsingshanchen Fortified Region, opening a more direct advance route toward Chiamussu. Meanwhile, the 2nd Red Banner Army succeeded in breaking through the outer Japanese defenses to besiege the Sunwu Fortified Region and surround the Aihun Fortified Region. To the west, the 36th Army continued to encounter strong resistance at Hailar and Wunoerh. The 5th Guards Rifle Corps initiated a southeastward pursuit along the railroad toward Wangyemiao, eventually catching elements of the 107th Division at Tepossi, while also engaging Japanese units retreating from the Wuchakou area. The forward detachment of the 7th Guards Mechanized Corps occupied Taonan after a march hindered by wet weather and Japanese kamikaze attacks. The 17th Army captured Taopanshin, and Pliyev's left column overcame a small Manchurian cavalry force, entering Dolonnor at the east end of the pass across the southern Grand Khingan Mountains. Back in the Pacific, the Allies grew restless as they awaited a Japanese response, ultimately interpreting the silence as a non-acceptance of the imposed peace terms. Consequently, Truman ordered a resumption of attacks against Japan at maximum intensity. More than 400 B-29 bombers launched daylight attacks, while over 300 conducted night raids, culminating in what would become the largest and longest bombing raid of the Pacific War. Furthermore, Truman began planning to drop a third atomic bomb on Tokyo. However, before he could proceed, Emperor Hirohito met with the most senior Army and Navy officers in the early hours of August 14, convincing them to cooperate in ending the war. The cabinet immediately convened and unanimously ratified the Emperor's wishes for an unconditional surrender. They also decided to destroy vast amounts of material related to war crimes and the war responsibilities of the nation's highest leaders. Shortly after concluding the conference, a group of senior army officers, including Anami, gathered in a nearby room and signed an agreement to execute the Emperor's order of surrender. This decision would significantly impede any attempts to incite a coup in Tokyo. During this meeting, General Kawabe Torashirō, Vice Chief of the Army General Staff, proposed that the senior officers present should each sign an agreement to carry out the Emperor's order of surrender, "The Army will act in accordance with the Imperial Decision to the last." An agreement was ultimately signed by each of the most important officers present, including Minister of War Anami, Chief of the Army General Staff Umezu, commander of the 1st General Army Field Marshal Sugiyama Hajime, commander of the 2nd General Army Field Marshal Hata Shunroku and Inspector-General of Military Training Doihara Kenji. When Umezu voiced concern about air units causing trouble, Vice Minister of War Wakamatsu Tadaichi took the agreement next door to the Air General Army headquarters, where its commander Kawabe Masakazu, the brother of Torashirō also signed. The document would serve to seriously impede any attempt to incite a coup in Tokyo. Simultaneously, the Foreign Ministry transmitted orders to its embassies in Switzerland and Sweden to accept the Allied terms of surrender, which were received in Washington at 02:49 on August 14. Anticipating difficulties with senior commanders on distant war fronts, three princes of the Imperial Family, who held military commissions, were dispatched to deliver the news personally. By 19:00, the text of the Imperial Rescript on surrender was finalized, transcribed by the official court calligrapher, and presented to the cabinet for their signatures. Around 23:00, the Emperor, with assistance from an NHK recording crew, made a gramophone record of himself reading the rescript. At long last, Japan had admitted defeat.  However at around 21:30 on 14 August, the conspirators led by Hatanaka set their plan into motion. The Second Regiment of the First Imperial Guards had entered the palace grounds, doubling the strength of the battalion already stationed there, presumably to provide extra protection against Hatanaka's rebellion. But Hatanaka, along with Lt. Col. Shiizaki Jirō, convinced the commander of the 2nd Regiment of the First Imperial Guards, Colonel Haga Toyojirō, of their cause, by telling him (falsely) that Generals Anami and Umezu, and the commanders of the Eastern District Army and Imperial Guards Divisions were all in on the plan. Hatanaka also went to the office of Tanaka Shizuichi, commander of the Eastern region of the army, to try to persuade him to join the coup. Tanaka refused, and ordered Hatanaka to go home. Hatanaka ignored the order. Originally, Hatanaka hoped that simply occupying the palace and showing the beginnings of a rebellion would inspire the rest of the Army to rise up against the move to surrender. This notion guided him through much of the last days and hours and gave him the blind optimism to move ahead with the plan, despite having little support from his superiors. Having set all the pieces into position, Hatanaka and his co-conspirators decided that the Guard would take over the palace at 02:00. The hours until then were spent in continued attempts to convince their superiors in the Army to join the coup. Hatanaka, Shiizaki, Ida, and Captain Shigetarō Uehara (of the Air Force Academy) went to the office of Lt. Gen. Takeshi Mori to ask him to join the coup. Mori was in a meeting with his brother-in-law Michinori Shiraishi. The cooperation of Mori, who was the commander of the 1st Imperial Guards Division, was vital. When Mori refused to side with Hatanaka, Hatanaka killed him, fearing Mori would order the Guards to stop the rebellion. Uehara killed Shiraishi. These were the only two murders of the night. Hatanaka then used General Mori's official stamp to authorize Imperial Guards Division Strategic Order No. 584, a false set of orders created by his co-conspirators, which would greatly increase the strength of the forces occupying the Imperial Palace and Imperial Household Ministry, and "protecting" the Emperor. The rebels, led by Hatanaka, spent the next several hours fruitlessly searching for the recordings of the surrender speech, failing to locate them amid a blackout caused by American bombings. Around the same time, another group of Hatanaka's rebels, led by Captain Takeo Sasaki, targeted Prime Minister Suzuki's office with the intent to kill him. When they found it empty, they opened fire with machine guns, devastating the office, and then set the building ablaze before departing for Suzuki's home. Fortunately, Hisatsune Sakomizu, the chief secretary to Suzuki's Cabinet, had warned Suzuki, enabling him to escape just minutes before the assassins arrived. After setting fire to Suzuki's residence, the rebels then proceeded to the estate of Kiichirō Hiranuma, aiming to assassinate him as well. Hiranuma managed to escape through a side gate, but the rebels torched his house too. In the aftermath, Suzuki spent the remainder of August under police protection, sleeping in a different bed each night to avoid detection. Around 03:00, Hatanaka was informed that the Eastern District Army was on its way to the palace to confront him and urged him to surrender. As Hatanaka saw his plan collapse around him, he pleaded with Tatsuhiko Takashima, the Chief of Staff of the Eastern District Army, for airtime on NHK radio to explain his intentions to the Japanese people. His request was denied. Meanwhile, Colonel Haga, commander of the 2nd Regiment of the First Imperial Guards, learned that the Army did not support Hatanaka's rebellion and ordered him to vacate the palace grounds. Just before 05:00, while his rebels continued their search, Major Hatanaka went to the NHK studios, desperately trying to secure airtime to convey his actions. However, slightly over an hour later, after receiving a phone call from the Eastern District Army, Hatanaka finally conceded defeat. He gathered his officers and left the NHK studio, feeling the weight of his failed coup. At dawn, General Tanaka learned that the palace had been invaded, so he went there to confront the rebellious officers. He berated them for acting against the spirit of the Japanese army and ultimately convinced them to return to their barracks. By 08:00 on August 15, the rebellion was entirely dismantled. Although they had held the palace grounds for much of the night, they ultimately failed to find the recordings. After his failed coup, Hatanaka took his own life before witnessing Japan's surrender. While TF-38 refueled on August 14, Halsey signaled McCain, stating, “I intend to strike the same general target area on the fifteenth.” McCain informed TF-38, “Our orders to strike indicate the enemy may have dropped an unacceptable joker into the surrender terms. This war could last many months longer. We cannot afford to relax. Now is the time to pour it on.” In fact, the Western Allies had sunk their last Japanese ships of the war that day, when submarines USS Torsk (SS-423) and USS Spikefish (SS-404) torpedoed I-373 and two small escort ships in the East China Sea, resulting in the death of 112 Japanese sailors. The following morning, August 15, the Third Fleet launched its first strike of 103 aircraft at 04:15 hours. At 06:14, just as the first strike was returning and the second strike was five minutes from the target, Halsey was ordered by Nimitz, “Air attack will be suspended. Acknowledge.” Shortly afterward, an officer burst in, waving a transcript—President Truman's official peace announcement. Halsey erupted with exuberance, “pounding the shoulders of everyone within reach.” He recalled, “My first thought at the great news was, ‘Victory!' My second was, ‘God be thanked, I'll never have to order another man out to die.'” However, within minutes, four retiring Hancock Hellcats were attacked by seven Japanese fighters, resulting in the Hellcats shooting down four without loss. Over Tokorazawa airfield, northwest of Tokyo, 20 IJAAF Ki-84 “Franks” ambushed six VF-88 Hellcats from Yorktown. The Hellcats managed to shoot down nine Franks but lost four of their own, along with their pilots. Rawlings' dawn strikes were intercepted by about 12 Zeros. Escorting Seafires shot down eight Zeros but lost one, while an Avenger downed a ninth Zero. Tragically, seven TF-38 flyers never returned. During the morning, Halsey launched his last strike of the war, but was soon ordered by Admiral Nimitz to suspend all air attacks. At 12:00, the Emperor's recorded speech to the nation, reading the Imperial Rescript on the Termination of the War, was finally broadcast. The war was over… or was it really? I would like to take this time to remind you all that this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Please go subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry after that, give my personal channel a look over at The Pacific War Channel at Youtube, it would mean a lot to me. As Prime Minister Suzuki and his cabinet debated surrender, the Emperor Hirohito finally accepted the Potsdam Declaration, conditionally ensuring the imperial family's continuity. However, conspirators attempted a coup to prevent the surrender, ultimately failing. By August 15, Japan officially surrendered, marking the end of the Pacific War.

Foreign Minister Gideon Saar has criticized France, Britain and Canada, which announced they would recognize a Palestinian state. Saar quoted Hamas senior official Razi Hamed, who said that "the initiative by several countries to recognize a Palestinian state is one of the fruits of October 7." Saar wrote on X: "If this is who is applauding you - what does that say about you?" The images of hunger in Gaza and residents killed while trying to obtain food have led to fierce criticism of Israel across the world. KAN's Mark Weiss spoke with veteran Foreign Ministry diplomat Jeremy Issacharoff. (Photo: Reuters)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

外務省、東京都千代田区外務省は２９日、経済局に経済安全保障課を新設するなどの組織改編を８月１日付で行うと発表した。 Japan's Foreign Ministry said Tuesday that it will implement a large-scale organizational reform Friday, including the establishment of an economic security division under the Economic Affairs Bureau.

Japan's Foreign Ministry said Tuesday that it will implement a large-scale organizational reform Friday, including the establishment of an economic security division under the Economic Affairs Bureau.

Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world. Diplomatic correspondent Lazar Berman joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode. Yesterday, aircraft from Israel, the United Arab Emirates and Jordan airdropped dozens of pallets of humanitarian aid in the northern and southern Gaza Strip. This morning, Israel says more than 120 truckloads of food aid were distributed by the UN and aid agencies in the Gaza Strip on the first day of a partial pause in fighting. Berman explores how Israel's currently softened position is playing out on the global stage and compares it to previous cycles in which Israel allowed more aid into the Strip. UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer is set to press US President Donald Trump on ending “the unspeakable suffering” in Gaza when they meet at the US president’s golf resort in Scotland today, according to a Downing Street spokesperson says. The meeting at Turnberry, southwestern Scotland, comes as European countries express growing alarm at the situation in Gaza. What is Trump currently saying about the war in Gaza? Foreign Ministry director general Eden Bar-Tal summoned France’s deputy ambassador Mikaël Griffon for a reprimand at ministry headquarters in Jerusalem yesterday, over French President Emmanuel Macron’s announcement last week that Paris would recognize a Palestinian state. During the dressing down, he accused France of undermining talks for a hostage release deal with Hamas, as well as future negotiations with the Palestinian Authority. Berman delves into the idea that all the pressure on Israel to end the war -- and this "prize" of a state to the Palestinian people -- could harm the ceasefire negotiations and drag out the war with an emboldened Hamas. And we ask, is the UK set to follow France's example? And finally, the home of a Chabad rabbi in Dnipro was hit during a deadly Russian missile attack on the central Ukrainian city early Saturday. We learn about the "Shabbat miracle" that saved his family and hear what is happening with the Jewish community in Ukraine as the war marks some 1250 days. Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates. For further reading: Once again, Israel tried to restrict Gaza aid. Once again, it failed miserably Trump: Israel will ‘have to make decision’ on Gaza war, images of starvation ‘terrible’ Hundreds of rabbis demand Israel stop ‘using starvation as a weapon of war’ Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by the Pod-Waves. IMAGE: An Israeli soldier stands next to a truck at the Kerem Shalom crossing between southern Israel and the Gaza Strip on July 27, 2025. (Carlos REYES / AFP)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Thailand says the conflict with Cambodia is between the governments and armed forces instead of between the people.

China said on Wednesday that the construction of the Yarlung Zangbo hydropower project falls within its sovereignty and will not have adverse effects on downstream areas.中国周三表示，雅鲁藏布江水电站的建设属于其主权范围内的事务，不会对下游地区造成不良影响。Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun made the remarks after it was reported that India and Bangladesh expressed concerns, fearing damage to biodiversity and livelihoods of local people.外交部发言人郭杰坤在相关报道发布后发表了上述言论。该报道称，印度和孟加拉国对此表示担忧，担心这会对生物多样性以及当地民众的生计造成损害。"The project aims to accelerate the development of clean energy, greatly improve local livelihoods, and actively address climate change," Guo told a daily news briefing.郭在每日新闻发布会上表示：“该项目旨在加快清洁能源的发展，大幅改善当地居民的生活水平，并积极应对气候变化。”"China has always maintained a highly responsible attitude toward transboundary river development and has rich experience in hydropower project development," Guo said.郭表示：“中国一直对跨境河流的开发持有高度负责的态度，并且在水电项目开发方面有着丰富的经验。”He added that the planning, design, and construction of the project strictly adhere to China's highest standards in the sector, avoiding and relocating from several important and sensitive ecological areas to preserve the original ecosystem to the greatest extent.他补充说，该项目的规划、设计和施工均严格遵循了该领域中国最高的标准，避免并避开了几个重要的敏感生态区域，并尽可能地保护了原始生态系统。Guo further noted that the construction of the project is beneficial for disaster prevention and mitigation throughout the entire river basin and will not have adverse effects on downstream areas.郭进一步指出，该项目的建设有利于整个流域的防灾减灾工作，并且不会对下游地区造成不良影响。"China has conducted hydrological reporting, flood control, and disaster reduction cooperation with relevant downstream countries and has also engaged in necessary communication regarding the project," he said, adding that the nation will continue to strengthen cooperation with downstream countries.他表示：“中国已与相关下游国家开展了水文监测、防洪及减灾方面的合作，并就该项目进行了必要的沟通。”他还补充道，中国将继续加强与下游国家的合作。Yarlung Zangbo hydropower projectn.雅鲁藏布江水电站项目/ˈjɑːlʊŋ zæŋˈbəʊˈhaɪdrəʊpaʊə(r)ˈprɒdʒekt/transboundary river developmentn.跨境河流开发/ˌtrænzˈbaʊndəriˈrɪvə(r) dɪˈveləpmənt/

Paul Binsfeld, Honorary Consul of Luxembourg to Arizona and New Mexico, escorted an Arizona delegation to Luxembourg. Paul Binsfeld, Honorary Consul of Luxembourg to Arizona and New Mexico since 2021, reached out to me after listening to the show with Geoff Thompson about the Luxembourg diaspora in America. Paul has been in Luxembourg for over a week now, as part of the 128-strong delegation of Honorary Consuls to Luxembourg from around the world. They were met by Minister Bettel, Prime Minister Frieden, The Chamber of Commerce and Foreign Ministry, and rounded off the day with a reception at Colmar-Berg Castle with Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume. Since then the itinerary has been packed, coupled with meetings for a group of high-level Arizona space and business delegates to  explore new potential partnerships. Brett Mecum is a distinguished government relations professional and space policy expert.  He was appointed by the Arizona Speaker of the House to the Arizona Space Commission in 2024, and was instrumental in passing the Arizona House Bill 2254, and securing $1.5 million for the Space Analog Moon and Mars Mission at Biosphere 2.  Currently, Breet is a 2025 Bertelsmann Foundation Fellow, focusing on the Geopolitics of Space. Elizabeth Christensen is Vice President of Business Development, BlackStar Orbital and is in Luxembourg to form strategic European partnerships to develop new markets for BlackStar's reusable space systems. They view Europe as an important market to work with, and Luxembourg is an obvious hub. The delegation also reflected on the shared values between Luxembourg and Arizona: both regions are shaping the future of defence, commercial space and regulatory frameworks. Luxembourg's model of entrepreneurial diplomacy and strategic openness has created a clear signal to all consuls that Luxembourg is open for business and partnerships. https://play.rtl.lu/shows/en/in-conversation-with-lisa-burke/episodes/n/2312858 https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulbinsfeld/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/elizabeth-christensen-2rd/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/brettmecum/

Israel bombs Syria, kills 3, wounds dozens "At least three people have been killed and 34 others wounded as Israel launched a wave of air strikes on the Syrian capital. Israel carried out strikes on the General Staff Complex and the Presidential Palace, known as Qasr al-Shaab, in Damascus. The Israeli army confirmed the air strikes and called the attack on the Presidential Palace a “warning strike.” Israeli fighter jets also staged several air strikes on the southwestern province of Daraa and Qatana city in the Damascus countryside." Israel kills scores in Gaza including aid-seeking Palestinians "Israel has killed at least 68 people in Gaza on Wednesday, including several starving Palestinians who suffocated from tear gas while waiting at US-backed, so-called aid sites in the hope of getting some food. The killings took place in Khan Younis, Nuseirat refugee camp, Gaza City, Jabalia, Deir al Balah and Netzarim Corridor." "Türkiye slams Israeli strikes on Damascus" Türkiye's Foreign Ministry has condemned recent Israeli air strikes targeting central Damascus, calling them a deliberate attempt to undermine Syria's efforts toward peace, stability, and security. The ministry said the latest attack by Israel on Damascus, following its previous military interventions in southern Syria, constitutes an act of sabotage against Syria's attempts to restore peace and order. Ankara warned that such actions threaten to derail a rare opportunity for the war-torn country to move toward normalisation." Illegal Israeli settlers seize control of historic Ibrahimi Mosque "Israeli authorities have stripped the Palestinian-run Hebron municipality of administrative powers over the Ibrahimi Mosque and transferred them to a council of illegal Jewish settlers. Located in the Old City of Hebron, which is under Israeli occupation, the Ibrahimi Mosque is surrounded by approximately 400 illegal Israeli settlers protected by about 1,500 Israeli soldiers. The mosque complex is believed by Abrahamic religions to hold the remains of Prophet Abraham and his family." Türkiye's Fidan denounces Israel's genocide in Gaza " Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has condemned Israel's genocide in Gaza in strong terms during an address to the United Nations Security Council, saying the war has turned the Palestinian enclave into a ""concentration camp"" and accused Israel of systematically targeting civilians. Fidan said over 2 million people are enduring unspeakable suffering in Gaza. He also cited Israel's forced mass displacement, widespread destruction, and the deliberate blocking of humanitarian aid in the besieged enclave."

島根県竹島、２０２１年９月【ソウル時事】韓国外務省は１５日、日本政府が２０２５年版防衛白書で島根県竹島の領有権を主張したとして「強力に抗議し、即時撤回を求める」とする報道官論評を発表した。 South Korea's Foreign Ministry on Tuesday protested Japan's 2025 defense white paper, which asserts Japan's sovereignty over the Sea of Japan islets known as Takeshima in Japan and Dokdo in South Korea.

South Korea's Foreign Ministry on Tuesday protested Japan's 2025 defense white paper, which asserts Japan's sovereignty over the Sea of Japan islets known as Takeshima in Japan and Dokdo in South Korea.

On June 13th, Israel launched attacks on several military and nuclear facilities in Iran, marking the beginning of a 12-day war between the two countries. The United States followed with targeted strikes on Iranian nuclear sites to prevent Iran from becoming a nuclear power and posing a threat to regional and global stability. China's involvement in the conflict was limited to condemning the Israeli and US use of military force and calling for de-escalation. Beijing offered only rhetorical support for Tehran. To discuss what the Israel-Iran war reveals about China's relationship with Iran, its evolving strategy in the Middle East, and the broader implications for US-China competition, we are joined by Yun Sun on the podcast today. Yun is a Senior Fellow, co-Director of the East Asia Program and Director of the China Program at the Stimson Center. Her recent piece in The Wire China entitled “How China Sees Iran's Future” offers provides a nuanced take on Beijing's calculus during and after the war. Timestamps[00:00] Start[01:34] China's Diplomatic Strategy Toward the Middle East[05:00] A Limited Chinese Response and China's Regional Role[08:19] Chinese Perceptions of Iran's External Strategic Blunders[15:00] Trickling Chinese Investment into Iran[20:10] Chinese Concerns About a Nuclearized Iran[25:09] Implications of the Israel-Iran War for China's Energy Security[32:04] Trump's Response Shaping Chinese Views of the United States 

Katie is joined by Eli Clifton, senior advisor at the Quincy Institute and investigative journalist at large at Responsible Statecraft. Eli talks about what the hell Trump is doing in the Middle East and what Eli learned as one of the last analysts from a US think tank to visit Iran and speak with Foreign Ministry officials nuclear negotiators. But first, Katie talks to Palestinian Youth Movement organizer Aisha Nizar about the Mask Off Maersk campaign's latest victory and to Ash Bohrer a leader of JVP Chicago and assistant Professor of Gender and Peace Studies at University of Notre Dame talks about why they're on a hunger strike. **Please support The Katie Halper Show ** For bonus content, exclusive interviews, to support independent media & to help make this program possible, please join us on Patreon - / thekatiehalpershow Get your Katie Halper Show Merch here! https://katiehalper.myspreadshop.com/all Follow Katie on Twitter: https://x.com/kthalps Follow Katie on Instagram / kthalps

首相官邸、東京都千代田区日本政府は防衛装備品などを同志国に無償で供与する政府安全保障能力強化支援の２０２５年度の対象国として、タイやフィリピンなど８カ国を選定する方針を固めた。 The Japanese government plans to provide eight countries with free defense equipment in fiscal 2025 under its official security assistance program, Foreign Ministry sources said Friday.

The Japanese government plans to provide eight countries with free defense equipment in fiscal 2025 under its official security assistance program, Foreign Ministry sources said Friday.

For review:1.  In a video statement on Tuesday summing up the war against Iran, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared that Israel “achieved a historic victory” that would “abide for generations."“Now, the focus returns to Gaza, to bringing the hostages home and toppling Hamas rule,” he added. 2. IDF: Iran's Nuclear Program Set Back Years.  Israel Defense Forces spokesman Brigadier General Effi Defrin said Wednesday:  "I can say here that the assessment is that we significantly damaged the nuclear program, and I can also say that we set it back by years, I repeat, years.” 3. Iran Foreign Ministry: Nuclear Facilities "Badly Damaged."  Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei on Wednesday conceded the Sunday strikes by American B-2 bombers using bunker-buster bombs had been significant. 4.  Iran has, over the last 12 days, arrested more than 700 people accused of ties with Israel, state-linked media reported Wednesday.5.  The United States and Qatar said Wednesday that the ceasefire in Iran has created an opportunity to advance truce-hostage talks they are mediating between Israel and Hamas in Gaza. 6. NATO Agrees to Boost Spending to 5% GDP.  The 5%  GDP figure is a bit of a workaround, with 3.5% for core defense tasks and an additional 1.5% on measures that support defense and security- such as cyber defense. 7.  The United Kingdom announced today it will buy “at least” 12 F-35As and will use the jets to “join NATO's dual capable nuclear mission” in what it called a “major boost” for the alliance's security. 

Uranium stockpile untouched after US strikes on nuclear sites: Iran "A senior adviser to Iran's Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, has said that the country's enriched uranium stockpile remains intact despite recent US air strikes on nuclear sites. Ali Shamkhani, a key figure in Iran's Supreme National Security Council, said the attacks failed to damage Iran's nuclear capabilities. “Even if nuclear sites are destroyed, the game isn't over. Enriched materials, indigenous knowledge, and political will remain,” he wrote on X." Trump seeks 'peace' deal with Tehran after Iran strikes: report "US President Donald Trump reportedly has no plans to continue military strikes against Iran and is instead pursuing a peace agreement, Axios reported, citing an unnamed American official. Trump informed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of the outcome following strikes on Iranian nuclear sites and expressed his preference for diplomacy. An Israeli official confirmed Washington's stance, saying, “the Americans made it clear to us they want to close this round,” according to the report." Israel continues to kill Palestinions in Gaza "Israeli forces have killed at least 31 more Palestinians and wounded dozens in Gaza, according to local medics. While global attention is focused on the Israel-Iran conflict, Tel Aviv continues its deadly war in Gaza. Meanwhile, Israel is also quietly intensifying its occupation of the West Bank." Türkiye, UN condemn deadly church attack in Damascus, call for unity against terrorism "Türkiye and the UN have condemned a deadly suicide bombing at Mar Elias Church in Damascus that killed at least 20 and wounded 52, calling for unity against terrorism. UN envoy Geir Pedersen urged a full investigation into the Daesh-claimed attack, which targeted worshippers during mass. Türkiye's Foreign Ministry denounced the assault as an attempt to destabilise Syria and disrupt social cohesion." Oil prices surge after Tehran mulls shutting Strait of Hormuz "Oil prices surge after US air strikes on Iranian nuclear sites raised fears of broader conflict and energy disruption. Brent crude and US West Texas Intermediate jumped over 4%, as tensions mount over the potential closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a vital oil corridor. Iran's parliament has approved closing the strait in response to US and Israeli attacks on Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan."

Raimund Löw in conversation with Thomas Carothers, Mitchell Ash and Eva NowotnyDEMOCRACY UNDER THREAT - DONALD TRUMP AND WORLD POLITICS?In the second presidency of Donald Trump an attack against the rule of law in the United States has begun. The White House has challenged or undercut independent institutions of the government, the liberal media and the universities. The United States have greatly reduced its support of democracy on the international level. Vice-president JD Vance and Secretary Marco Rubio have supported parties and politicians from the far right in Europe and elsewhere. How far will the pressure on democracy in the United States under Donald Trump go? How strong is the resistance of the democratic institutions and civil society in the US? What are the consequences for democracy in the world?A discussion between democratization expert Thomas Carothers (Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Washington DC), historian Mitchell Ash (University of Vienna) and former Austrian Ambassador to the USA Eva Nowotny, moderated by journalist Raimund Löw Thomas Carothers is a leading authority on comparative democratization and international support for democracy, human rights, governance, the rule of law, and civil society. He is the author or editor of critically acclaimed books and articles in prominent journals, including most recently, Democracies Divided: The Global Challenge of Political Polarization (Brookings Press, 2019, co-edited with Andrew O'Donohue). He has been a visiting faculty member at the Central European University, Nuffield College, Oxford University, and Johns Hopkins SAIS.Mitchell G. Ash is Professor Emeritus of Modern History at the University of Vienna, Austria.  He is a member of the Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and Humanities and the European Academy of Sciences and Arts. Ash is author or editor of 20 books and 200 articles and review essays with focus on the social, cultural and political relations of the sciences in the 19th and 20th centuries. Since 2016 he has published commentaries and participated in media discussions on recent American politics, most recently “Die USA auf dem Weg zu einer Demokratur?” (in Der Standard, 29. Jänner 2025. https://www.derstandard.at/story/3000000254882/die-usa-auf-dem-weg-zu-einer-demokratur).Eva Nowotny is Vicepresident of the Kreisky Forum. She had been Austrian Ambassador to France, the United Kingdom and the United States of America. She had served as Foreign Policy Advisor at the Office of the Federal Chancellor and as head of the Directorate-General for Integration and Economic Policy at the Foreign Ministry. Eva Nowotny has chaired the University Board of the University of Vienna.Raimund Löw, journalist and historian, is editor of the podcast Falter Radio. He has been foreign correspondent for Austrian Radio and Television ORF in Washington DC, Beijing, Brussels and Moscow. He is author and coautor of several books on international affairs including Welt in Bewegung (2022), Weltmacht China (2018)

Since Israel launched Operation Rising Lion—a precise and defensive military campaign aimed at preventing the Iranian regime from acquiring nuclear weapons—Iran has responded with a barrage of ballistic missiles and drones, indiscriminately targeting Israeli civilians. Dr. Matthew Levitt, director of the Reinhard Program on Counterterrorism and Intelligence at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, and a leading expert on Iran's global terror network, explains what's at stake—and what could come next. Take Action: We must stop a regime that vows to murder millions of Israelis from gaining the weapons to do it. Urge your elected leaders to assure that Israel has all the necessary support to end Iran's nuclear threat. Resources and Analysis: Iranian Regime vs. Israel War Explained: What You Should Know AJC Advocacy Anywhere: Israel and Iran: Latest Updates, Global Responses, and the Path Ahead 5 Key Reasons Behind Israel's Defensive Strike on Iran's Imminent Nuclear Threat Listen – AJC Podcasts: The Forgotten Exodus: Untold stories of Jews who left or were driven from Arab nations and Iran People of the Pod: Latest Episodes: Why Israel Had No Choice: Inside the Defensive Strike That Shook Iran's Nuclear Program What Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks' State of the Jewish World Teaches Us Today Follow People of the Pod on your favorite podcast app, and learn more at AJC.org/PeopleofthePod You can reach us at: peopleofthepod@ajc.org If you've appreciated this episode, please be sure to tell your friends, and rate and review us on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Transcript of the Interview: Israel's shadow war with the Iranian regime, the world's leading state sponsor of terrorism, erupted into open conflict last week following a stunning report from the International Atomic Energy Agency that confirmed Iran was much closer to obtaining nuclear weapons than previously known. Since Israel launched a wave of attacks on nuclear sites and facilities, Iran has fired missiles toward Israel's most populated cities. Joining us to discuss what this all means is one of the foremost experts on Iran and its global threats, and a regular guest when trouble arises with Iran. Dr. Matthew Levitt, director of the Reinhard Counterterrorism Program at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy.  Matt, welcome back to People of the Pod. Matthew Levitt:   It's a pleasure to be back, but I need to come sometime when the world's okay.  Manya Brachear Pashman:   That would be nice. That'd be nice. But what will we talk about? Matthew Levitt:   Yeah, just call me one of the Horsemen of the Apocalypse. Manya Brachear Pashman:   Well, you are one of the foremost experts on the dangers posed by Iran, especially its terror proxies. And you've written the definitive book on Hezbollah, titled Hezbollah: the Global Footprint of Lebanon's Party of God. And I say that whole title, I want to get in there, because we are talking about global threats here.  Can you explain the scale of Iran's global threat and the critical role that its terror proxies, like Hezbollah, Hamas, the Houthis, play in advancing that strategy? Matthew Levitt:   So I really appreciate the question, because it's really important to remind listeners that the Israel Iran war did not start Thursday night US time, Friday morning, Israel time. In fact, it's just the latest salvo where the Israelis, after years and years and years of Iranian we call it malign activity, but that's too soft a term. We're talking about Iran sending weapons and funds to proxies like Hamas to carry out October 7, like Hezbollah to fire rockets at Israel almost daily for almost a year. Like the Houthis, who were much more than a thorn in the Saudi backside until the Iranians came and gave them more sophisticated capabilities.  We're talking about an Iran that a few years ago decided that instead of making sure that every gun that it sent to the West Bank had to go to Hamas or Islamic Jihad. They decided to just flood the West Bank with guns. Who cares who's shooting at the Israelis so long as somebody is. And an Iran that not only carries out human rights abuses of all kinds at home, but that threatens Israel and its neighbors with drones, low altitude cruise missiles, short range ballistic missiles, and medium and long range ballistic missiles.  And so the totality of this, much like the totality of Hezbollah's striking Israel for almost a year, ultimately led Israel to do what most people thought couldn't be done, and just tear Hezbollah apart, that the Israel war on Hezbollah is the prequel to what we've been seeing over the past few days in Iran. Similarly, for the Israelis, it got to be too much. It wasn't even really that President Trump's 60 days expired and Israel attacked on day 61. It wasn't only that the IAEA came out with a report saying that the Iranians have refused to explain certain activities that can only be explained as nuclear weaponization activities.  It was that the Israelis had information that two things were happening. One, that Iran was working very, very hard to rebuild its capability to manufacture medium, long range ballistic missiles that can hit Israel. After the Israeli reprisal attack last October took out a key component of that program, the mixers that are important for the solid propellant, without which you can't make ballistic missiles. And Iran is believed to have, at least the beginning of this recent round of the conflict –Thursday, Friday–about 2000 such missiles. Far fewer now, the Israelis say they've taken out about a third of them, plus launchers, plus radars, et cetera. But that Iran had a plan within just a few years to develop as many as 8000 of these. And that simply was not tolerable for the Israelis.  And the second is that the Israelis say that they compiled evidence that Iran had a secret, secret nuclear weapons program that had been going on predating October 7, but was fast tracked after October 7, that they were planning to maintain this program, even as they were negotiating over the more overt program with the Trump administration. President Trump has even taken issue with his own Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, who testified in March that the US intelligence committee does not assess that Iran is weaponizing. And President says, I don't care what she says, I think they were very close to weaponizing.  The Israelis say they have shared this information at least recently with their US counterparts and that was not tolerable. So the primary goals that Israel has set out for itself with this campaign is beyond the critically important shattering the glass ceiling. Think where people in particular, in Iran thought this would never happen, was two things, one, addressing and significantly degrading and setting back the Iranian ballistic missile production program, and second, doing the same to the nuclear program. They've already carried out strikes at Isfahan, Natanz, even at the upper parts of Fordow. And there is an expectation that the Israelis are going to do something more. The Israeli national security advisor said on Israeli television today, We are not going to stop without addressing the nuclear activities at Fordow. Manya Brachear Pashman:   You know, you called it a prequel, Israel's operations against Hezbollah last year. Did you know that it was a prequel at the time and to what extent did it weaken Iran and leave it more vulnerable in this particular war? Matthew Levitt:   I'm going to be the last person in Washington, D.C. who tells you when he doesn't know. And anybody who tells you they did know is lying to you. None of us saw what Israel did to Hezbollah coming. None of us saw that and said, Oh, they did it to a non-state actor right across their border. So they'll definitely be able to do it to Iran, 1000+ kilometers away, big nation state with massive arsenals and a nuclear program and lots of proxies. One plus one does not equal three in this.  In other words, the fact that Israel developed mind boggling capabilities and incredible intelligence, dominance and then special tools, pagers and walkie talkies, in the case of Hezbollah, did not mean that they were going to be able to do the same vis a vis Iran. And they did. The same type of intelligence dominance, the same type of intelligence, knowing where somebody was at a certain time, that the protocols would be that certain leaders would get in a certain secret bunker once hostilities started, and they'd be able to take them out in that bunker. As they did to a bunch of senior Hezbollah commanders just months ago. Drone operations from within Iran, Iran being hit with missiles that were fired at Iran from within Iran, all of it. One case did not necessarily translate into the other. It is exponentially impressive. And Israel's enemies have to be saying, you know, that the Israelis are just all capable. Now you're absolutely right. You hit the nail on the head on one critical issue. For a very long time, Israel was at least somewhat deterred, I would say very deterred, from targeting Iran. Because Iran had made very, very clear if Israel or the United States or anybody else targeted Iran or its nuclear program, one of the first things that would happen would be that Hezbollah in Lebanon, Israel, Iran's first, most important proxy would rain hellfire in Israel in the form of 1000s upon 1000s of rockets. Until Israel addressed the problem, Hezbollah is believed to have had 150 to 200,000 different types of projectiles, up to and including precision guided munitions.  Not only have the overwhelming majority of those been destroyed, Hezbollah still has 1000s of rockets, but Hezbollah leadership has been decimated. There's a new sheriff in town in Lebanon. There's a new government that immediately, when hostility started with Iran's, went to Hezbollah and said, You're not doing this, not dragging Lebanon back into a war that nobody wanted again. We are finally coming out of this economic crisis. And so Iran was faced with a situation where it didn't have Hezbollah to deter Israel.  Israel, you know, paved the way for a highway in the air to Iran, taking out air defense systems. It was able to fly over and through Syria. The Syrians are not shedding any tears as they see the Quds Force and the IRGC getting beaten down after what Iran did in Syria. And the Israelis have air dominance now. President Trump said, We, using the we term, air dominance now, earlier today. And they're able to slowly and methodically continue to target the ballistic missile program. Primarily, the medium and long range missiles that target Israel, but sometimes it's the same production lines that produce the short range missiles that Iran uses to target U.S. Forces in the region, and our allies in the Gulf. So Israel is not just protecting itself, it's protecting the region. And then also taking out key military security intelligence personnel, sometimes taking out one person, then a couple days later, taking out the person who succeeded that person, and then also taking out key scientists who had the know-how to potentially rebuild all the things that Israel is now destroying. Manya Brachear Pashman:   But Israel is also not hearing from the Houthis, is not hearing from Hamas. It's not hearing from other terror proxies either. Very few attacks from Iran's terror proxies in the aftermath of this wave. Why? Why do you think that is? Matthew Levitt:   The crickets are loud. The crickets are loud. Look, we've discussed Hezbollah. Hezbollah understands that if it were to do something, the Israelis will come in even harder and destroy what's left. Hamas is still holding hostages. This is still an open wound, but it doesn't have the capabilities that it once had, and so there have been a couple of short range things that they tried to shoot, but it's not anything that's going to do huge damage, and the Israeli systems can deal with those.  The Houthis did fire something, and it hurt some Palestinians near Hebron. You know, the Houthis and the Iranians in particular, in this conflict have killed Palestinians, and in one case, Syrians. They're continuing to hurt people that are not Israelis. One of the things that I think people are hopeful for is that as Iran tries to sue for peace, and it already is, it's been reaching out to Cyprus to pass messages, etcetera. The hope is that Iran will recognize that it's in a position whereby A) there has to be zero enrichment and the facilities have to be destroyed, whatever's left of them. And B) there's a hope that Israel and the United States together will be able to use this diplomatic moment to truly end the conflict in Gaza and get the hostages home. Manya Brachear Pashman:   Well, that was what I was going to ask. I mean, if Israel achieves its objectives in this war, primarily eliminating Iran's nuclear threat, how significant a setback would that be for Hamas and Iran's other terror proxies, and could it indeed pave the way for an end of the war in Gaza and the return of the hostages? Matthew Levitt:   Like everybody else, I'm so scarred, I don't want to get my hopes up, but I do see this as a distinct possibility, and here's why. Not Hezbollah, not the Houthis, not Hamas, none of them, and plenty of other proxies that don't start in the letter H, none of them could have been anywhere as capable as they've proven to be, were it not for Iranian money and weapons. Also some training, some intelligence, but primarily money and weapons.  And so Hamas is already on its back foot in this regard. It can still get some money in. It's still being able to make money off of humanitarian aid. Iran is still sending money in through money exchange houses and hawaladars, but not weapons. Their ability to manufacture weapons, their military industrial complex within Gaza, this is destroyed. Hezbollah, we've discussed, discussed, and a lot of their capabilities have been destroyed. And those that remain are largely deterred. The Houthis did shoot up some rockets, and the Israelis did carry out one significant retaliatory attack. But I think people are beginning to see the writing on the wall. The Israelis are kicking the stuffing out of Iran with pinprick attacks that are targeting the worst of the bad guys, including people who have carried out some of the worst human rights transgressions against Iranians. Let's not pretend that this is not affecting the average Iranian. It is. The president says, Everybody get out of Tehran. That's just not possible. People, average Iranians, good people. It must be just an absolute terror.  But Israel's not bombing, you know, apartment buildings, as Iran is doing in Israel, or as Russia is doing in Ukraine. And so it really is a different type of thing. And when the Houthis, when Hamas, when Hezbollah, look at this, you don't you don't poke the tiger when it's angry. I think they also understand now's the time to get into survival mode. What you want is for the regime in Iran not to be destroyed. This is no longer a moment, as it's been since long before October 7, but certainly since then, of how Iran as proxies, export Iran's revolution. This is now a question of how they maintain and preserve the revolution at home. And it's extremely important to the proxies that Iran remain, so that even if it's knocked down over time, hopefully, theoretically, from their perspective, it can regain its footing. It will still have, they hope, its oil and gas, etcetera, and they will get back to a point where they can continue to fund and arm the proxies in. Maybe even prioritize them as it takes them longer to rebuild their ballistic missile, drone, and nuclear programs. Manya Brachear Pashman:   Which is a scary prospect as well to know that terror proxies could be spread throughout the world and empowered even a little bit more. President Trump left the G7 summit a day early to meet with security advisors, and just a few hours ago, prior to this interview, President Trump called for Iran's, quote, unconditional surrender, saying that the US knows where the Supreme Leader is, and some other threatening language. But I mean, this appears to be a kind of a clear commitment to Israel. So I'm curious how you assess his administration's actions before and during the war thus far, and do you see the United States edging toward direct involvement? Matthew Levitt:   All politics is local, and there is a tug of war within the MAGA movement over whether or not the US should be getting involved. Not only in supporting an important ally, but in removing a critical threat. The President is clearly frustrated that Iran was not being more forthcoming in the negotiations. He said many times, we'd offered you a great deal, you should have taken the deal. He's very aware that his deadline ended, and they didn't particularly seem to care. There's also the background that once upon a time, they tried to assassinate him, I think, after the Israelis did what they did, the President appreciates capabilities. He appreciates success. He likes backing the winning horse. And so the New York Times is reporting that after getting off the phone with Prime Minister Netanyahu, President Trump reportedly turned to some aides and said, maybe we need to help him. Now it's not clear that's what's going to happen, and my understanding is that the Israelis have plans of their own for things like the heavily fortified facility at Fordow, which is the most important and highly fortified, protected of the nuclear installations. The Israeli National Security Advisor spoke today and said, you know, we're not going to be done until we do something with Fordow.  The United States can do multiple things only the United States has the MOP: the Massive Ordinance Penetrator, and the airplanes to deliver it, and they could end Fordow if they wanted. Short of that, they could do other things to support Israel. There's been defensive support for the State of Israel already, but there's other things they could do, refueling and other things if they wanted to. And at a minimum, I don't see the president restraining Israel at all. Now, I've heard some people say that so far, the President has fired nothing more than some social media postings, some of them even in all caps.  But the truth is, those do have an effect, and so long as Israel is not restrained. I think the Israelis went into this with a plan. That plan is not necessarily to entirely destroy the entire nuclear program, but if the ballistic missile program and the nuclear program are sufficiently degraded so that it will take them years and a tremendous amount of time and money to rebuild, knowing that Israel has broken the glass ceiling on this idea of targeting Iran, that if the Israelis feel they need to, they will come back. If the Iranians rebuild their air defense systems, the Israelis will address them and create a new highway going if they need to. I think the Israelis are making that clear. Knowing that it's going to be a little bit of a road for Iran, especially when it will have to deal with some domestic issues coming out of this.  Finally, the Israelis have started signaling there's other things they could do. The Israelis have not yet fully targeted oil and gas fields and facilities. For example, they had one set of attacks where they basically knocked at the front door of some of these facilities without walking in the house. That's signaling, and I think it's one of the reasons you're seeing Iran quietly trying to reach out for some type of a ceasefire. Other signaling, for example, is the Israelis deciding to fly all the way to Mashhad, which is in far eastern Iran, to take out an airplane. That airplane was not particularly important. It was the message. There is nowhere in Iran we can't go. It's not a question of distance, it's not a question of refueling, it's not a question of air defense systems. We can do what we need to do. And I think the Iranians understand that now. Manya Brachear Pashman:   So we talked about the commitment to Israel, and how clear, how important it is to clarify that commitment to Israel. How important is it to clarify the United States commitment to Arab partners in the Middle East to help defend them in other words, if this conflict escalates? Matthew Levitt:   This is critically important. You know, one of the individuals who was taken out, for example, was the person who was in charge of the drone attack on the Abqaiq oil facility in Saudi Arabia. If you look, for example, at the Saudi statement condemning the Israeli actions, it was issued by the Foreign Ministry without a single name attached to it. Wasn't issued by the Crown Prince, wasn't issued by the foreign minister. So I think you should expect a whole lot of public criticism. I imagine there's a different conversation going on behind closed doors. It's not necessarily, you know, pom-poming. This makes the Gulf states very, very nervous, in part because they understand that one way Iran could try and get out of this is to expand the conflict.  And that the reason they haven't is because, short of trying to prevent Iranians from taking to the streets and potentially doing something to maybe overthrow the regime, short of that, the number one thing that the Iranian regime is most desperate to avoid is getting the United States involved militarily. And I think the Iranians really understand and the messaging's been clear. If you target US Forces in the region, if you target our allies in the region, we'll get involved. If you don't, then we might not.  Now the President now is talking about potentially doing that, and as a lot of maybe this, maybe that, nothing very clear. I think what is clear is that the Israelis are going to continue doing what they need to do for another one to two weeks. Even going so far as doing something, though they haven't made clear what to address the really complicated problem of the fortified facility at Fordow. Manya Brachear Pashman:   So how important is it for global security if Israel is successful in eliminating the nuclear threat in Iran? Matthew Levitt:   Look, Iran has been the single most destabilizing factor in the region for a long time now. Imagine a region without a destabilizing revolutionary regime in Iran without a regime that is supporting Shia militants in Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries.  Imagine the Shia militias in Iraq suddenly without a funder and a patron, enabling the Shia government in Iraq to actually be able to take control of the country and establish a monopoly over the use of force. At a time when the Shia militias, because of Iran's backing, are becoming more dangerous and more powerful in Iraq.  Imagine the Lebanese government being able to be more forward leaning in their effort to establish a monopoly over the use of force in that country, reclaim bases that Hezbollah has used for all this time, and establish a new Lebanon that is not beholden to Iran and Hezbollah.  And imagine an Israeli-Palestinian situation where you didn't have Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad as spoilers. Recall that October 7 happened in large part because Hamas and Hezbollah and Iran could not tolerate the prospect of Israeli-Saudi normalization. For most Palestinians, this was great news. The Saudis were demanding real dividends for the Palestinians from the Netanyahu government, which was likely going to do them. This was great for Palestinians, bad for Hamas.  Imagine Hamas no longer getting that support from Iran. Imagine Iran no longer able to send or being interested in sending millions upon millions of dollars to its proxies, and instead spending what money it has on helping its population, instead of cracking down on it with human rights violations. You could have a very, very different region, let alone imagine Iran no longer carrying out acts of terrorism, kidnapping plots, abduction plots of dissidents and Jews and Israelis and others around the world of the type that we've seen throughout Europe and throughout the Middle East and even in the United States over the past few years. Manya Brachear Pashman:   That's quite an imagination you have. But I take your point. Let me ask you this then. Did you ever imagine that Israel would take this dramatic step?  Matthew Levitt:   What the Israelis have achieved, when you are so against the wall and you're forced to come up with solutions, because it's a matter of life or death – you make the impossible possible. And I think that perhaps the Iranians assumed that the Israeli post-October 7 doctrine applied to non-state actors only. And that doctrine is very simple. Israel will no longer allow adversaries who are openly committed to its destruction to build up weapons, arsenals that they can then use at some point to actually try and destroy Israel. They will not allow that to happen.  They allowed it to happen with Hamas. It was a mistake. They allowed it to happen with Hezbollah. It was a mistake that they corrected. And Iran is the biggest, arguably, really, the only existential threat as huge, as a tasking as that was, clearly they invested in doing it. And the question became, not, why can't it be done? What is it that has to be overcome? And I don't think sitting here with you right now, you know, what is it, 3:30 on Tuesday, the 17th, that we've seen the last of the tricks up Israel's sleeve.  Manya Brachear Pashman:   I only have one last question for you, and that is about the United States. The importance of the United States getting directly involved. I mean, we've talked about previously undisclosed nuclear sites, and who knows how many there could be. We're talking about more than what, 600,000 square miles of Iran. If the goal is a non nuclear Iran, can Israel finish this war without the United States, or does it even matter? I mean, is this just a step to force Iran back to the negotiating table with virtually zero leverage? Matthew Levitt:   So look, I don't think the goal here is completely destroying the Iranian nuclear program, or even completely destroying the Iranian ballistic missile program. The goal is to so degrade it that it is set back many, many years, and break that ceiling. People now understand if Israelis need to come back, they're coming back. I think they would like to do as much damage to these destructive programs as possible, of course, and I don't think we've seen the end of it. I think there are more tricks up Israel's sleeve when it comes to some of these complicated problems.  Judged by this yardstick, by the way, the Israeli operation is a tremendous success, tremendous success, even though there have been some significant casualties back in Israel, and even though this has caused tremendous trauma for innocent Iranians who have no love for the regime. This is a situation that the Iranian regime has brought down on all of us.  I do think that the Israelis have made very, very clear that this doesn't end until something is done to further disrupt and dismantle Fordow, which is the most important and the most heavily fortified, underground, under a mountain facility. It's not clear what the Israelis have in mind. It seems they have something in mind of their own. It's clear they would love for the United States to get involved, because the United States could do real damage to that facility and potentially end the Iranian nuclear program. But at the end of the day, if it can't be completely destroyed, I anticipate it's going to be damaged enough to significantly set it back. This phase of the Israel-Iran war, which didn't start last week, is not about pushing them back a week or a month or two months. Manya Brachear Pashman:   Well, Matt, thank you so much for your wise counsel and perspective on this matter, and yes, hopefully we can have you back another time to talk about peace and love and things that have nothing to do with war and conflict with Iran or its terror proxies. Matthew Levitt:   I would really look forward to prepping for that interview. In the meantime, I want to thank AJC for all the important work it does, and thank you guys for having me on the podcast. Manya Brachear Pashman:   If you missed last week's episodes, be sure to tune in for our crossover episode with Books and Beyond: The Rabbi Sacks Podcast, a podcast of the Rabbi Sacks Legacy, and my conversation with AJC's Jerusalem Director Avital Liebovich. During a special breaking news episode the day after Israel launched Operation Rising Lion, the latest in Israel's ongoing war of self-defense against the Iranian regime.  

For review:1.  The UN conference hosted by France and Saudi Arabia to work toward a two-state solution between Israel and the Palestinians has been postponed French President Emmanuel Macron said on Friday.  France and Saudi Arabia had been set to host the gathering between June 17-20 in New York. 2. Israel smuggled attack drones into Iran using a variety of means, including trucks, shipping containers, and even suitcases, The Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday, citing sources familiar with the Mossad operation.3.  Israeli PM & President Visit Site of Deadly Missile Strike in Bat Yam.4.  IDF Warns Citizens of Tehran to Evacuate. Widespread Israeli Air Force strikes were reported in the Iranian capital, Tehran, on Sunday afternoon, hours after the IDF issued an unprecedented evacuation warning for Iranian civilians to evacuate areas around weapons factories. 5.  Some Iranians began to flee the capital, Tehran, on Sunday as Israeli airstrikes continued to target military infrastructure and nuclear facilities across the Islamic Republic for a third day. 6.  IDF Strikes Oil Refineries, Fuel Depots, and Gas Fields.7.  Iran has asked Cyprus to convey “some messages” to Israel, the President President of Cyprus Nikos Christodoulides said on Sunday. However, Iran swiftly denied the claim, with its Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei saying Iran did not send any message to Israel via a third country. 8.  US President Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin held a 50-minute phone call Saturday to discuss the escalating situation in the Middle East, the White House and Kremlin confirmed. 

Good afternoon, I'm _____ with today's episode of EZ News. Tai-Ex opening The Tai-Ex opened up 112-points this morning from Friday's close, at 21,773 on turnover of 6.3-billion N-T. The market closed slightly lower Friday - after retreating from earlier gains as investors remained cautious ahead of the release of U-S jobs data. The bellwether electronics sector remained sluggish throughout the session despite some late buying, while select non-tech stocks, particularly in the financial and petrochemical sectors, drew interest and lent support to the broader market. French National Assembly delegation visits Taiwan A delegation of members of the French National Assembly has arrived in Taiwan for a six-day visit. The delegation is being led Marie-Noelle Battistel, the president of the Assembly's Taiwan-France Friendship Group. Battistel is visiting at the invitation of the Lai administration and is being accompanied by four other deputies in the lower house of the French Parliament. According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the delegation is slated to hold talks with President Lai Ching-te and other senior government officials in Taipei aimed at enhancing (增強) bilateral relations. They will also meet with Minister without Portfolio Lin Ming-hsin and Economics Minister Kuo Jyh-huei. 'Time 100' recipient gets honorary doctorate from Taitung university Philanthropist Chen Shu-chu has been presented with an honorary doctorate degree by National Taitung University for her humanitarian contributions (貢獻). Chen was a vegetable vendor at Central Market in Taitung City for over half a century before she retired in 2018. She gained fame here in Taiwan when she was named as one of Time Magazine's 100 most influential people of 2010 for her philanthropy. Chen received her degree with the National Taitung University alumni at a graduation ceremony held at the university's Chihpen Campus for her contributions to society. She was introduced at the event by Taitung County Deputy Magistrate Wang Chih-hui - who cited her as an example of human love transcending (超越) technological advancement. Israel Reports Thunberg Vessel Diverted to Israel Israel's Foreign Ministry says a Gaza-bound aid boat carrying Greta Thunberg and other activists has been diverted (改變方向) to Israel. In a post on X, it said the boat “is safely making its way to the shores of Israel.” The passengers “are expected to return to their home countries,” it added, without providing further details. The Freedom Flotilla Coalition, which had organized the voyage to deliver humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip and protest Israel's blockade of the territory, said the activists had been “kidnapped by Israeli forces.” Colombia Presidential Hopeful Shot and Wounded A Colombian senator and would-be presidential candidate is shot and wounded (受傷) at a rally. AP correspondent Julie Walker reports France World Oceans Day Dozens of research and exploration vessels have set sail off the French coastal city of Nice across across the Bay of Angels. The event on Sunday marked World Oceans Day and the opening of the third U.N. Ocean Conference. It aimed to showcase the beauty of the ocean and the growing urgency to protect it. Thousands of delegates, including heads of state, scientists, and environmental advocates, are expected in Nice this week to confront growing threats to the ocean, and the need to transform pledges (承諾) into protection. The conference is expected to bring the High Seas Treaty closer to ratification, allowing countries to establish marine protected areas in international waters, which cover nearly two-thirds of the ocean and remain largely ungoverned. That was the I.C.R.T. EZ News, I'm _____. －－－－以下訊息由 SoundOn 動態廣告贊助商提供－－－－ 打造綠能與AI科技的示範驗證場域，串聯嘉義、南科、高雄及屏東等園區，大南方智慧轉型的關鍵樞紐，歡迎一同探索沙崙智慧綠能科學城，共創智慧未來！ 參訪進駐資訊請至 https://sofm.pse.is/7qmrvq 網站查詢 經濟部能源署/臺南市政府經濟發展局(廣告) -- NISSAN為提升車主夏季駕乘感受，限時推出X-TRAIL、KICKS及SENTRA「涼夏特仕版」限量各200台，雙前座升級通風座椅，提供涼爽舒適的駕駛體驗。 本月入主NISSAN任一車款再贈Dyson時尚吹風機組，及零利率方案，讓消費者輕鬆入主、無壓升級NISSAN車款。 https://sofm.pse.is/7qk7ag -- Hosting provided by SoundOn

Beijing has urged Washington to protect the interests of international students amid reports that the United States government has halted the scheduling of new interviews for student visa applicants.针对美国政府暂停安排学生签证申请人新面签的报道，北京已敦促华盛顿方面切实保障国际学生权益。"China believes that education cooperation and academic exchanges should not be disrupted," Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said on Wednesday.外交部发言人毛宁周三表示：“中方认为教育合作与学术交流不应受到干扰。”Mao made the remark after foreign media reported that the US government is considering requiring all foreign students applying to study in the US to undergo social media vetting, and in preparation for the vetting, is ordering US embassies and consular sections to pause scheduling new interviews for such visa applicants.此前，外媒报道称，美国政府正考虑要求所有赴美留学的外国学生接受社交媒体的审查，并为此暂停美国使领馆对该类签证申请人新的签证面谈。The spokeswoman said that China is following the current development, which comes days after the US government revoked Harvard University's ability to enroll international students. The revocation has been temporarily blocked by a court restraining order.毛宁指出，中方正密切关注事态发展。此前数日，美国政府刚取消哈佛大学招收国际学生的资格，该决定现已被法院限制令临时叫停。"We urge the US to protect the lawful and legitimate rights and interests of all international students, including those from China," Mao added.她强调：“我们敦促美方切实保障包括中国留学生在内的所有国际学生的合法权益。”In an interview with China Media Group on Wednesday, a staff member of the US embassy in Beijing said the embassy has not received relevant information, and visa applications and interviews are proceeding as usual.在周三接受中国环球电视网采访时，美国驻华大使馆工作人员表示未收到相关信息，签证申请及面签程序均正常进行。A 20-year-old Chinese student, who is majoring in computer science at a US university, said the reported measure will not affect his studies in the US, because he already has a long-term student visa.一位就读于美国大学计算机专业的20岁中国留学生表示，该政策不会影响其学业，因其已持有长期学生签证。However, those currently applying for majors at US universities may feel anxious about the move, he said, adding that the US is not as welcoming for international students as it used to be.但他指出，当前正在申请美国院校的学生可能因此焦虑，并坦言“美国对国际学生的欢迎程度已不如往昔”。According to a report released on Friday by New Oriental Education and Technology Group, an education company in China, the US has been the second most popular country for Chinese students who intend to study abroad for six years in a row.据中国的教育公司，新东方教育科技集团上周五发布的报告显示，美国已连续六年位居中国留学生意向目的地第二位。However, the US government has stepped up its crackdown on international students this year, including by abruptly terminating their legal status.然而今年以来，美政府持续加大对国际学生的限制力度，包括突然终止其合法身份等举措。halt/hɔ:lt/v.使停止;停止，终止vet/vet/v.审查;仔细检查legitimate rights合法权利embassy/ˈembəsi/n.大使馆；使馆官员crackdown/ˈkrækdaʊn/v.打击；镇压

The newborn son of Tzeela Gez, an Israeli woman killed in a West Bank terror shooting, has died; Israel's Foreign Ministry held a memorial ceremony in Jerusalem for Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim, two Israeli embassy employees who were heinously killed in a shooting attack in Washington, DC.;The IDF struck Sana'a International Airport in Yemen on Wednesday morning and destroyed the last operational aircraft belonging to the Houthi rebels, Israel's Defense Minister confirmed; Police arrested a 41 year old Eritrean national for robbing and murdering a 71-year-old man here in Tel Aviv. An explosive device planted by terrorists detonated during combat in southern Gaza on Wednesday, killing 20-year-old IDF Sergeant Danilo Mocanu from Holon; A stunning Byzantine-era mosaic, originally discovered in 1990 near Be'er Shema in the western Negev, is now on public display after an extensive restoration.Click that you heard about Hasod (gift boxes) from “a podcast” when you check out. https://www.hasodstore.com/shopsmallIsrael Daily News website: https://israeldailynews.orgIsrael Daily News Roundtable: https://www.patreon.com/shannafuldSupport our Wartime News Coverage: https://www.gofundme.com/f/independent-journalist-covering-israels-warLinks to all things IDN:⁠ https://linktr.ee/israeldailynews⁠Music: Tik Tak; Erika Krall & Lian Gold https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xGqtwBjb-R8

Beijing has expressed stern opposition after Washington said it would start "aggressively" revoking visas of Chinese students. A Foreign Ministry spokesperson says this act betrays America's long-proclaimed freedom and openness and will damage its own international image and credibility.

Last-ditch efforts for Gaza ceasefire underway "Egypt, Qatar and the US have come together to present Hamas with a revised ceasefire proposal, originally drafted by Washington's Special Envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff. Sources familiar with the talks say this is being described as the last chance to make a deal. The Palestinian resistance group Hamas has been given 48 hours to respond." Israel plans to seize 75% of Gaza "Israel is said to be accelerating its military offensive, aiming to seize control of about seventy-five percent of the territory within the next two months. That means nearly two million Palestinians would be forced into just a quarter of Gaza. A recent high-level briefing reportedly laid out these plans. By July, Israeli forces would occupy around two hundred and seventy five square kilometres of the coastal enclave—out of Gaza's total three hundred and sixty five. The Palestinian population would be confined to three areas: Gaza City in the north, central Gaza's refugee camps, and the Masawi area down south." US Golden Dome project is 'nuclear war scenario': North Korea "North Korea is slamming the United States over its new Golden Dome missile defence project, calling it a dangerous step toward nuclear war. President Trump announced the programme, worth one hundred and seventy five billion dollars, on May 20th, saying a design had been chosen and a lead appointed to manage the effort. In a statement released by state media, North Korea's Foreign Ministry accused Washington of arrogance and high-handedness. Officials there described the project as part of a ""space-based nuclear war scenario"" and said it perfectly reflects the ""America First"" mindset." US urges Israel to 'stay united' on Iran "The US is urging Israel to remain unified as talks continue with Iran over its nuclear programme. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said she had a direct and honest conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about the ongoing negotiations. According to her, President Trump specifically asked her to deliver the message in person, stressing the need for unity while discussions play out." Anti-Muslim lawmaker Wilders unveils 10-point migration crackdown plan "Dutch far-right politician Geert Wilders is once again stirring controversy with a new ten-point plan aimed at slashing immigration. He's also putting pressure on the ruling coalition, warning he might pull his support if his demands aren't met. The plan includes some hardline measures like deploying the army to secure land borders and turning away all asylum-seekers at the point of entry. He also wants a temporary freeze on family reunification for accepted refugees."

船越健裕外務事務次官とランドー米国務副長官外務省は１４日、船越健裕事務次官が１５～１７日に米国を訪れ、ランドー国務副長官と会談すると発表した。 Japanese Vice Foreign Minister Takehiro Funakoshi will visit the United States for three days from Thursday to hold talks with U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau, the Foreign Ministry said Wednesday.

世界貿易機関のオコンジョイウェアラ事務局長外務省は１２日、世界貿易機関のオコンジョイウェアラ事務局長が同日から１４日までの日程で来日すると発表した。 Japan's Foreign Ministry said Monday that World Trade Organization Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala will visit the country for three days through Wednesday to meet with Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and other senior officials.

Let's go to the PHD Weight Loss Talk Line with doctor Steve who's heading up to Boiling Springs. How are you doing, bud? I'm I'm doing well. And yourself? I'm doing great. What's going on? Great. I just don't know if you've heard, but the the strength of Trump's, tariffs, even the pope is American made. I see. I see. There you go. I mean, it's working, isn't it? Globally, Trump's Trump's tariffs are working. And another quick thing about Belichick Yeah. If he marries that girl if he marries that girl, are the young ones gonna call her nana or granny? Yeah. Right? I don't know. My gosh. It's gonna be awful. Thank you so much, buddy. You be careful out there. Yep. Even even the pope is American made. That's how well Trump's, tariffs are working. Now what you're not hearing from the mainstream media is exactly that, how well Trump's tariffs are working. Already signed that huge great deal. It was a huge deal. It's the best deal we've ever done with The UK. Nobody else could do it but me. Only I could do and he's right. Only he could do that. Because he's even as they pointed out over on CNN last night, The United States has has been trying to come up with some sort of a trade deal with The UK for a long time. Now remember, they lost a lot of their trading status when they went through Brexit, and they broke away from the European Union. So they lost a little bit there, but now this this benefits them. It benefits us. Everybody's a winner. But who is about to come to the table? Well, China. China's getting ready. So it wasn't long ago, and and you saw it. Everybody, you know, if you're on social media, you probably saw it. China went on this huge campaign. It was a propaganda campaign is what it was. What it was. It was a big propaganda campaign. They even you know, they were pumping up China's economy, and everything is going great. And we got, they they posted images of Mao Zedong, lambasted imperialist, sent messages to people's phones capitulating to bullies as dangerous, and it went it it it that they wouldn't back down. Well, not so much. Because now we're finding out according to Tyler Durden over there at the Liberty Daily, behind closed doors, China was quietly and has been quietly preparing to do that back down. And Reuters reports that according to three sources, officials had grown increasingly alarmed about tariffs, impacts on the economy, and the risk of isolation as China's trading partners have started negotiating deals with Washington. China's reasons for deciding to negotiate Washington's letter on fentanyl, US diplomatic challenges in Beijing, and the early outreach between the two sides are reported by Reuters for the first time based on interviews with nearly a dozen government officials and experts on both sides. As usual, China's diplomatic efforts had two faces. One, for the popular domestic consumption and one for private engagement with the adversary, in that case, is Us. China's Foreign Ministry said in a statement to Reuters that it reiterated that China's firm opposition to The US abuse of tariff is consistent and clear, and there is no change. It added that The U US has ignored China's goodwill and unreasonably imposed tariffs on China under the pretext of fentanyl. This is a typical act of bullying with serious, which seriously undermines the dialogue and cooperation between the two sides in the field of drug control. Now they're backing down. So you see, The US did not ignore China's goodwill as they say. The issue of fentanyl is a very serious one, and we need to take it seriously. But it's about more than that. They had social media influencers, like I said, online. They were they were begging people, begging people. Buy directly from the factory. If you need a product, if you need something, buy directly from the factory. That way we can, you know, kinda do or go around some of these tariffs. They were begging people. Factories have been shutting down. Unemployment is rampant. W ...

Let's go to the PHD Weight Loss Talk Line with doctor Steve who's heading up to Boiling Springs. How are you doing, bud? I'm I'm doing well. And yourself? I'm doing great. What's going on? Great. I just don't know if you've heard, but the the strength of Trump's, tariffs, even the pope is American made. I see. I see. There you go. I mean, it's working, isn't it? Globally, Trump's Trump's tariffs are working. And another quick thing about Belichick Yeah. If he marries that girl if he marries that girl, are the young unsung to call her nana or granny? Yeah. Right? I don't know. My gosh. It's gonna be awful. Thank you so much, buddy. You be careful out there. Yep. Even even the pope is American made. That's how well Trump's, tariffs are working. Now what you're not hearing from the mainstream media is exactly that, how well Trump's tariffs are working. Already signed that huge great deal. It was a huge deal. It's the best deal we've ever done with The UK. Nobody else could do it but me. Only I could do and he's right. Only he could do that. Because these even as they pointed out over on CNN last night, The United States has has been trying to come up with some sort of a trade deal with The UK for a long time. Now remember, they lost a lot of their trading status when they went through Brexit, and they broke away from the European Union. So they lost a little bit there, but now this this benefits them. It benefits us. Everybody's a winner. But who is about to come to the table? Well, China. China's getting ready. So it wasn't long ago, and and you saw it. Everybody, you know, if you're on social media, you probably saw it. China went on this huge campaign. It was a propaganda campaign is what it was. What it was. It was a big propaganda campaign. They even you know, they were pumping up China's economy, and everything is going great. And we got, they they posted images of Mao Zedong, lambasted imperialist, sent messages to people's phones capitulating to bullies as dangerous, and it went it it it that they wouldn't back down. Well, not so much. Because now we're finding out according to Tyler Durden over there at the Liberty Daily, behind closed doors, China was quietly and has been quietly preparing to do that back down. And Reuters reports that according to three sources, officials had grown increasingly alarmed about tariffs, impacts on the economy, and the risk of isolation as China's trading partners have started negotiating deals with Washington. China's reasons for deciding to negotiate, Washington's letter on fentanyl, US diplomatic challenges in Beijing, and the early outreach between the two sides are reported by Reuters for the first time based on interviews with nearly a dozen government officials and experts on both sides. As usual, China's diplomatic efforts had two faces. One, for the popular domestic consumption and one for private engagement with the adversary, and that case is Us. China's Foreign Ministry said in a statement to Reuters that it reiterated that China's firm opposition to The US abuse of tariff is consistent and clear, and there is no change. It added that The U US has ignored China's goodwill and unreasonably imposed tariffs on China under the pretext of fentanyl. This is a typical act of bullying with serious, which seriously undermines the dialogue and cooperation between the two sides in the field of drug control. Now they're backing down. So you see, The US did not ignore China's goodwill as they say. The issue of fentanyl is a very serious one, and we need to take it seriously. But it's about more than that. They had social media influencers, like I said, online. They were they were begging people begging people. Buy directly from the factory. If you need a product, if you need something, buy directly from the factory. That way we can, you know, kinda do or go around some of these tariffs. They were begging people. Factories have been shutting down. Unemployment is rampant. W ...

A round-up of the main headlines in Sweden on May 7th, 2025. You can hear more reports on our homepage www.radiosweden.se, or in the app Sveriges Radio Play. Presenter/Producer: Kris Boswell

【北京時事】沖縄県・尖閣諸島沖で中国海警局の艦船から飛び立ったヘリコプターが日本の領空を侵犯した件を巡り、中国外務省は４日、在中国日本大使館の次席である横地晃公使に抗議したと発表した。 China's Foreign Ministry on Sunday protested to Japan over an incident the previous day in which a Chinese helicopter flew in Japanese airspace around the Japanese-administered Senkaku Islands.

UN calls on Israel to lift 'brutal blockade' of humanitarian aid to Gaza The UN has called on Israel to lift its blockade of humanitarian aid delivery into Gaza, saying blocking the desperately needed aid inflicts a "cruel collective punishment". Tom Fletcher, the UN relief chief, said that: "International law is unequivocal: As the occupying power, Israel must allow humanitarian support in. Aid, and the civilian lives it saves, should never be a bargaining chip." Fletcher also said: "The humanitarian movement is independent, impartial and neutral. We believe that all civilians are equally worthy of protection," underlining that they remain ready to save as many lives as they can, despite the risks." US urges India to avoid broader conflict after Kashmir attack US Vice President JD Vance has said that Washington hopes that India's response to the recent attack in India-administered Kashmir does not lead to a broader regional conflict. Vance said that Washington hoped Pakistan would cooperate with India to hunt down those responsible for the attack. He said that: "Pakistan, to the extent that they're responsible, cooperates with India to make sure that the terrorists sometimes operating in their territory are hunted down and dealt with. That's how we hope this unfolds. We're obviously in close contact. We'll see what happens." Deadly drone attack in Kherson, Moscow blames Kiev A Ukrainian drone strike on a market area in the Russian-controlled part of Ukraine's Kherson region killed at least seven people and wounded over 20 others, the Moscow-installed governor said. Vladimir Saldo, the region's Russian-backed governor, accused Ukrainian forces of carrying out the strike in a crowded market district in the city of Oleshky. Russia's Foreign Ministry issued a statement calling the incident a “terrorist” act and accused Ukraine of escalating the war while sabotaging diplomatic efforts. Pakistan ups diplomacy amid tensions with India Pakistani leaders doubled diplomatic efforts amid tensions with India following a deadly attack in India-administered Kashmir, according to a statement from the prime minister's office in Islamabad. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif told Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani that Pakistan condemned terrorism in all forms and manifestations, reiterating his offer for a credible, transparent and neutral international investigation into the Pahalgam attack. Sharif also met with Chinese Ambassador Jiang Zaidong in Islamabad, where the two discussed the situation in the region, thanking to China for its strong and steadfast support to Pakistan in the prevailing situation in South Asia. High technology, AI key to new world, says TEKNOFEST head The head of Türkiye's premier technology event, TEKNOFEST, highlighted that high technology and artificial intelligence (AI) are the keys to the new world, stressing that AI, when combined with the right purpose and ethical values, can provide humanity with a much better future. Selcuk Bayraktar, speaking at the opening ceremony of TEKNOFEST, emphasised that AI can enable groundbreaking innovations in health, equal educational opportunity, and countless opportunities that will make life easier. He also underscored that the country should be a global centre of attraction for technology and science in the heart of the Mediterranean.

For review:1. Israel seeks international aid in fighting wildfires across the country.  A statement from Israel's Foreign Ministry said the minister had spoken with the foreign ministers of the UK, France, the Czech Republic, Sweden, Argentina, Spain, North Macedonia, Azerbaijan, and other unspecified countries.2. IDF's Drone Strike "Message" Supports Syrian Druze Community. Joint Statement from Israel's PM and Defense Minster: “Israel will not allow harm to the Druze community in Syria, out of a deep commitment to our Druze brothers in Israel, who are connected by family and historical ties to their Druze brothers in Syria.” 3.  US & Ukraine Agree to Mineral Deal.  The Ukrainian Cabinet approved the agreement Wednesday. The deal still needs to be ratified by the Ukrainian Parliament before it can take effect. 4. EU Will Not Recognize Crimea as Russian.  EU's top diplomat Kaja Kallas said on April 30: "On the European side, we have said this over and over again… Crimea is Ukraine."5.  North Korean leader Kim Jong Un calls for accelerating the nuclear weapon capability of the Korean People's Army Navy.6. At Modern Day Marine conference, Polaris unveiled MRZR Alpha vehicle with one kilowatt of exportable power.  The company is also working on a MRZR variant capable of generating five kilowatts of power.7.  US Navy has awarded a long-awaited contract modification to General Dynamics Electric Boat, and major subcontractor HII, for the construction of two Virginia-class submarines appropriated through fiscal 2024 funding.

China's Foreign Ministry denied on Thursday any ongoing negotiations between China and the United States over the tariff issue, reiterating that dialogue and negotiations on the issue must be based on equality, respect and mutual benefit.中国外交部周四否认中美之间正在进行任何有关关税问题的谈判，并重申就该问题进行对话和谈判必须建立在平等、尊重和互利的基础上。Guo Jiakun, a spokesman for the ministry, rejected reports from the US side that Beijing and Washington are in negotiations and will even reach a deal, calling such claims "fake news".外交部发言人郭嘉昆驳斥了美方关于中美正在进行谈判甚至将达成协议的报道，称此类说法是“假新闻”。"As far as I know, China and the US have not held consultations or negotiations on the tariff issue, let alone reached any agreement," Guo told a daily news conference.郭嘉昆在每日例行记者会上表示：“据我所知，中美双方尚未就关税问题进行磋商或谈判，更遑论达成任何协议。”The tariff war was initiated by the US, he said, stressing that China's position has been consistent and clear: "If it's to fight, we'll fight till the end. If it's to talk, our door is wide open."他表示，关税战是由美国挑起的，并强调中方的立场是一贯明确的：“要打我们奉陪到底，要谈我们敞开大门。”reiterate/riˈɪtəreɪt/v.重申，反复地说dialogue/ˈdaɪəlɒɡ/n.对话fake news虚假新闻consultation/ˌkɒnsəlˈteɪʃən/n.磋商，商讨

China is said to consider exempting some US goods from tariffs as costs increase with Chinese authorities considering removing additional levies for medical equipment and some industrial chemicals like ethane, according to Bloomberg citing sources familiar with the matter.China's Foreign Ministry says it is not having any consultations or negotiations with the US on tariffs; on tariff exemptions, says not familiar with specifics.European bourses edge higher on positive Chinese trade reports; US futures mixed, GOOGL +5.5% pre-market after strong Q1 results.DXY recovers amid trade hopes, JPY weakens amid outflows from haven FX and despite hotter Tokyo CPI.Bonds trade rangebound as participants await further tariff updates.Crude modestly firmer, XAU slips given the positive risk tone and stronger USD.Looking ahead, BoE's Greene, ECB's Nagel, Rehn & Cipollone, Earnings from, SLB, AbbVie, Phillips 66 & Centene.Read the full report covering Equities, Forex, Fixed Income, Commodites and more on Newsquawk

元慰安婦への賠償などを求め、在韓国日本大使館近くで行われた抗議活動、３月１９日、ソウル日本外務省は２５日、韓国の清州地裁で同日、日本政府に対し、原告である元慰安婦遺族に損害賠償を命じる判決が出されたと発表した。 A South Korean court Friday ordered the Japanese government to pay compensation to the family of a former "comfort woman," who provided sex to troops of the now-defunct Imperial Japanese military, Japan's Foreign Ministry said.

記者団の取材に応じる岩屋毅外相、２５日、外務省岩屋毅外相は２５～５月４日の日程で、バチカンや米国などを歴訪する。 Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya will attend the funeral of Pope Francis in the Vatican on Saturday, the Foreign Ministry said Friday.

China has decided to impose sanctions on some United States lawmakers, government officials and heads of NGOs for their egregious actions on issues related to the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, the Foreign Ministry said on Monday.外交部周一表示，针对美方在涉香港特别行政区问题上的恶劣行径，中方决定对部分美国国会议员、政府官员及非政府组织负责人实施制裁。The move is in response to Washington's abuse of illegal and unilateral sanctions on officials representing the central government in Hong Kong and officials of the SAR government, Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said at a regular news conference in Beijing.外交部发言人郭嘉昆在北京例行记者会上指出，此举是对华盛顿非法单边制裁中央政府驻港机构官员及香港特区官员的坚决回应。On March 31, the US Department of State announced its sanctions against six Chinese officials for allegedly "undermining Hong Kong's autonomy". The sanctions block any transactions on property, funds or deals within the US made by these individuals.3月31日，美国国务院以所谓"破坏香港自治"为由，宣布对六名中国官员实施制裁，冻结其在美国境内的财产交易及资金往来。"The US' unilateral sanctions gravely interfere in China's internal affairs, including Hong Kong affairs, and violate the principles of international law and basic norms governing international relations. China strongly condemns this despicable move," Guo said."美方单边制裁粗暴干涉中国内政，包括香港事务，严重违反国际法原则和国际关系基本准则。中方对此表示强烈谴责，并将坚决反制这种卑劣行径。"郭嘉昆强调。According to the spokesman, China's decision was made in accordance with the Anti-Foreign Sanctions Law, which was passed in 2021 to counter foreign sanctions. It gives China legal support and guarantee to counter discriminatory measures by a foreign country in accordance with the law.发言人表示，中方此次反制措施依据2021年通过的《反外国制裁法》实施。该法律为依法反制外国歧视性措施提供了法律支撑与制度保障。Guo reminded the US that Hong Kong is China's Hong Kong, and Hong Kong affairs are purely China's internal affairs, which "brook no US interference".郭嘉昆向美方严正重申，香港是中国的香港，香港事务纯属中国内政，"绝不容许任何外部势力干涉"。"Any wrong action taken by the US on Hong Kong-related issues will be met with a resolute response and reciprocal countermeasures by China," he said.他强调："美方在涉港问题上任何错误行径都将遭到中方坚决回应和对等反制。"impose sanctions实施制裁NGOs非政府组织；非政府机构egregious/ɪˈɡriːdʒiəs/adj.极坏的brook/brʊk/v.忍受；容忍interfere/ˌɪntəˈfɪə(r)/v.干预；干涉

Last time we spoke about Operation Nekka, the Invasion of Rehe Province. In 1932, the Kwantung Army eyed Rehe province as vital for Manchukuo's success. General Tang Yulin, ruling Rehe, initially favored Japanese interests due to economic ties, particularly in opium. Tensions escalated after a Japanese civilian was abducted, prompting military actions that led to skirmishes in Shanhaiguan. Amidst growing conflict, Zhang Xueliang mobilized forces against Tang, who eventually conceded. As Japan prepared for invasion, both sides strategized, with Chiang Kai-Shek reluctant to engage directly, fearing Japanese influence over his rivals. Operation Nekka commenced, showcasing the Kwantung Army's efficiency as they swiftly routed Chinese forces in Rehe. By March 4th, key passes were captured, but fierce resistance emerged. General Nishi faced counterattacks, leading to strategic retreats. Meanwhile, Chiang Kai-Shek struggled with internal conflicts while managing the Japanese threat. As the Kwantung Army pushed beyond the Great Wall, logistical issues arose, prompting political maneuvers to secure local warlord alliances. However, plans faltered when Zhang Qingyao, a potential ally, was assassinated.   #147 The Battle for the Great Wall of China Welcome to the Fall and Rise of China Podcast, I am your dutiful host Craig Watson. But, before we start I want to also remind you this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Perhaps you want to learn more about the history of Asia? Kings and Generals have an assortment of episodes on history of asia and much more  so go give them a look over on Youtube. So please subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry for some more history related content, over on my channel, the Pacific War Channel where I cover the history of China and Japan from the 19th century until the end of the Pacific War. Thus in the previous episode, Operation Nekka had been unleashed. The Kwangtung Army tossed 2 divisions into Rehe province with the intent of forcing its annexation into Manchukuo. They were under strict orders to not extend operations past the Great Wall of China. However they believed it was necessary to seize the main gateways along the Great Wall of China to establish their new borders, and in order to do so this absolutely required going past them. Yet military operations were not the only means to secure their goals. The Japanese forces faced significant logistical challenges, including a shortage of troops, having advanced into Rehe with only 20,000 men. Even the most resolute general in the Kwantung Army doubted that their military strength could prevail against the vast numbers of Chinese troops in the plains of Hubei. As a result, they needed to supplement their military efforts with political strategies targeting regional warlords. The tactic of bribing local elites had proven highly effective during the pacification of Manchuria, and there was no reason to think it wouldn't work in North China as well. All of these actions were carried out without any oversight from Tokyo headquarters.   On February 13, 1933, Itagaki Seishiro, who was then the head of the Mukden Special Service Agency, was transferred to the General Staff without any formal announcement of his promotion. He took up a position in Tientsin specifically to initiate political maneuvers in eastern Hubei, leading to the establishment of the Tientsin Special Service Agency. Initially, this agency sought to engage various competing warlords in North China, including Duan Qirui, Wu Peifu, and Sun Chuanfang, but eventually focused on Zhang Qingyao. Zhang had previously been a protégé of Duan Qirui, serving as the civil and military governor of Henan province. He had fought against Zhang Zuolin in 1925 before shifting his allegiance to Wu Peifu. During the second phase of the Northern Expedition, Zhang Qingyao again battled Zhang Zuolin, who was then in control of the National Pacification Army. After the Northern Expedition concluded, he allied with Yan Xishan's forces in Shanxi. So yeah it would seem he was not a man of principles nor loyalties of any kind. The Tientsin Special Service Agency initially aimed to approach Zhang Qingyao in hopes that he could orchestrate a coup d'état against Chiang Kai-Shek. They also hoped to persuade other figures such as Song Queyuan, Zhang Zuoxiang, Fang Chenwu, Xu Yusan, Zhang Tingshu, Sun Tienying, and Feng Zhanhai to join in. If successful, this could lead to a swift takeover of North China as they were advancing towards Peiping after taking the Great Wall. However, on May 7, Zhang Qingyao was assassinated, completely derailing their plans. With Zhang Qingyao dead, the agency concentrated their efforts instead to instigate riots in the Peiping-Tientsin region. They also began encouraging and propping up new political organizations that sought to form an independent northern regime. One scheme they were performing was to form a committee composed of Northern Warlords headed by Lu Zengyu, a banker who had studied in Japan. The idea was to form an anti-Chiang Kai-Shek coalition to carve out north china. The agency received a significant amount of funds to make ends meet. Itagaki alone would spend over 50,000 yen to try and bring about an anti-Chiang regime in the north. Some sources indicated over 3 billion yen being allocated to the IJA to be dished out to various Chinese warlords and elites in the form of bribes.  Meanwhile operations in the district east of the Luan River saw attacks formed against the Xumenzhai and Lengkou gateways. On April 1st, the Kwantung Army issued Order 491, seeing the Iwata detachment of the IJA 6th Division storm through the Xumenzhai gate and succeed in securing a supply route behind the great wall to help with the assaults against the other gateways in the region. By April 10th, the IJA 6th Division was making steady progress against the Lengkou gate. The next day they stormed through and captured Qienqangying, pursuing the retreating Chinese to the banks of the Luan River. Meanwhile the IJA 8th Division were facing a much more difficult situation. On the 12th, they captured Xifengkou, but their assault against Quehlingkou was going nowhere. After repeated assaults, the Chinese finally retreated, allowing the Japanese to focus on Taitouying. Thus from the 10th to the 23rd the gateways in northeastern Hubei were all falling into Japanese hands. The Kawahara Brigade was well on its way towards Nantienmen. The Operations within the Great Wall area had been fully authorized by Generals Nishi and Sakamoto. However there still existed limits upon the operations. For example, Operations order 495 issued by General Muto given on the 11th stated "Without specific orders, pursuit by the main force of ground troops is to be limited to the line connecting Hotung, Chiench'angying, and T'ait'ouying; but air units are to be limited to the Luan River."  Meanwhile the Special Service Agency in Tientsin had reported that Zhang Qingyao would stage a coup on the 21st and this prompted Song Queyuans troops to prevent the Central Army forces from fleeing towards Peiping. The Agency requested that the Kwantung Army not return to the Great Wall and instead perform a feint attack towards Peiping and Tientsin to scare the Chinese. As the plot was reaching its climax, on the 18th the Kwantung Army chief of staff, General Koiso Kuniaki issued a order for the 8th Division to strike in full force against the Gubeikou area. The Kwantung Army's plan was to bomb Miyun while launching their feint attack in combination with an all out effort to break Gubeikou. However on the night of the 18th, all of these plans changed dramatically. Suddenly General Muto issued Operations Order 498, hastily ordering all forces to withdraw to the Great Wall. Emperor Hirohito had decided to put his foot down. In Tokyo the emperor asked the vice chief of the General Staff, Lieutenant-General Mazaki Jinzaburö, "Has the Kwantung Army withdrawn from the Luan River line?" The vice chief retired from the imperial presence with a sense of guilt and wrote a confidential letter to the commander of the Kwantung Army. It was personally carried by Infantry Captain Katö [Michio] of the General Staff, who on April 19 arrived at the capital [of Manchukuo] bearing an imperial rescript. The vice chief also cabled to the chief of staff of the Kwantung Army a highly confidential dispatch, the main point of which stated, "Withdraw your troops immediately, or an imperial command will be issued." Thereupon the chief of staff of the Kwantung Army directed staff officer Endò Saburò to draft the withdrawal order. Thus as a result, the Kwantung Army began a withdrawal on the 21st, the same day the Peiping coup was to be unleashed. Those around Emperor Hirohito at this time have gone on the record to state it seemed to them, the emperor had hesitated heavily on issuing the withdrawal order. His motivations for giving the order are simply, the Kwantung Army had gone against his decrees, it was an identical situation to what had happened at Mukden in 1931. The Kwantung Army had no choice but to submit to what essentially was him “asking them to stop”. With that, operations east of the Luan River were over, for now. The order was certainly a critical blow to the Agency in Tientsin. How did they react? They doubled down on the coup effort. Likewise Koiso did not stop the 8th Division operation at Gubeikou. Instead the 8th Division was given orders "to maintain a menacing attitude toward hostile forces in North China." In accordance, the 3800 man Kawahara Brigade on direct orders from General Nishi, launched an attack against two Central Army Divisions numbered nearly 30,000 men stationed at Nantienmen. After a brutal week of battle the Kawahara Brigade seized the town. Meanwhile a battalion of 280 men led by Colonel Shimmura Eijiro attacked a central army force around 4000 strong at Xinglong. They suffered a 38% rate of casualties by the night of the 27th. The Battalion was nearly annihilated when suddenly the Chinese withdrew enabling the Japanese to slip by. Meanwhile the Piping coup did not materialize as planned on the 21st. Instead a secondary coup was initiated by Zhang Zuoxiang on the 26, but this misfired greatly. Reports began to emerge that troops led by Zhang Tingxu, Sun Tienying, Feng Zhanhai and Xu Yusan were willing to rebel in response to the failed coup attempts, but this proved completely false. A report issued on the 30th stated troops under Fang Chenwu were rebelling against Chiang Kai-Shek. However in reality Fang Chenwu only advanced his force north on May 10th and it was to join the anti-Japanese forces.  From mid April to mid May, the United States, Britain, France and Germany finally entered the fray in North China. It was an extremely chaotic situation for everyone. The Japanese military in Tokyo had no control nor idea what the Kwantung Army was doing, so when they tried to explain their actions to the international community, they continuously were walking over rakes. All the talk from Tokyo seemed incomprehensible to the other great powers. The Chinese were clamouring the entire time for a ceasefire agreement, but lacked the means to force the Japanese to do so. Japan had left the League of Nations, thus was extremely isolated and insecure in regards to foreign relations. Thus if a nation like Britain or the US had actually put their foot down, the Japanese more than likely would have backed off. Another element to this debacle was the stance of the Imperial Japanese Navy, who had made it adamantly clear they had zero intention of fighting off the British or Americans because of their unruly siblings within the Army. However, both Britain and America were too preoccupied with internal strife, mostly the result of the Great Depression, to devote considerable effort to the crisis in China. The League of Nations remained completely useless during the North China incident, similarly to how they were useless with the Manchurian incident. The Lytton Commission had performed an on the spot inquiry, and it did play a role in establishing a ceasefire by the time of the Shanghai incident, but did nothing to really help China. China had begun appealing to the League when Shanhaiguan was attacked and this prompted the nations of the league to rapidly agree to the Lytton Commission report's recommendations. In turn this led Matsuoka Yosuke to walk out on the league. With Japan out of the League, Wellington Koo proposed harsh sanctions upon Japan in response to their invasion of Rehe province. Yet they did nothing. China would continuously make pleas, but it was to no avail.  Rather than rely upon the League, the Chinese began secret talks with Japanese officials aiming first for a ceasefire. Tang Erho, Lee Shuzheng and Wang Komin attempted talks, but failed. Then Chen Yi the political vice minister of military affairs, secretly spoke with Nemoto Hiroshi, an army attache at the Shanghai legation on April 27th. They established negotiations with Nemoto speaking on behalf of the Kwantung Army and Chen Yi on behalf of Ho Yingqin. The Chinese were clearly more eager than the Japanese for a ceasefire, but the Japanese no longer had a rationale to continue their operation. Regardless the Japanese took the victors stance and demanded the Chinese withdraw from the battlefield as a prerequisite to further Japanese advances. In the first meeting, Nemoto told Chen that the Kwantung Army had already withdrawn from the area east of the Luan River to give Ho Yingqin an opportunity to consider a ceasefire. He described the action as a friendly gesture and suggested the Chinese reciprocate it by withdrawing their troops. Chen countered this by claiming Ho Yingqin had shown his own sincerity at the battle of Nantienmen by ordering his troops to withdraw to a second line of defense, hoping this would allow the Japanese to pull away from Nantienmen. However by May 1st, the Japanese claimed they had captured and secured Nantienmen, so Nemoto informed Chen the Chinese forces north of the Great Wall should withdraw to a line connecting Miyun, Pinkou, Yutien and the Luan River. On May 2nd, the Chinese sent a reply to this, completely ignoring the line idea and instead referred to the recent battle at Xinglong and explained the local commander there was eager for a victory and refused to withdraw despite being asked twice to do so. The Chinese also notified Nemoto that a Political affairs council headed by Huang Fu was being established at Peiping, and it should be through that body that further negotiations were held. The Japanese welcomed this development. Just as it seemed the Shanghai talks were paving a way to a ceasefire, the leadership of the Kwantung Army abandoned their political maneuvers in favor of a settlement. On April 30th the Tientsin Special Service Agency insisted to their Japanese colleagues, the Chinese were just buying time and not sincere in their actions. That same day the Army General Staff and Foreign Ministry suddenly refused to initiate a ceasefire on the grounds the Chinese had agreed to an armistice only to save face. Lt Colonel Nagatsu Sahishige, the army attache at Peiping urged the 8th Division to rapidly strike southwards as far as Miyun to annihilate He Yingqin's planned counteroffensive. Such an action would immediately threaten the Peiping-Tientsin region. To push the envelope, the Japanese could toss a new Division into the mix and force further negotiations when the Chinese withdrew south of Miyun. Clearly the Japanese had their eyes set on Miyun now. As such General Nishi was secretly told to capture it without any direction from Tokyo HQ, nor from most of the Kwantung Army leadership. The Operations department of the Kwantung Army also independently elected to move troops east of the Luan River again. They argued "the enemy again advances east of the Luan River and persists in its defiant attitude. Therefore we must again deal them a crushing blow." The IJA 6th Division had been evacuated to the Great Wall back on April 23rd and along the way were closely pursued by Chinese forces. General Sakamoto sent a plan to the Kwantung Army headquarters "to again drive the enemy west of the Luan River,". A lot of chaos was reigning within the Japanese military because they were in echo chambers and not relaying information to another. When the Kwantung Army Operations department suddenly proposed a new advance east of the Luan River, on May 2nd a heated exchange took place between them and the Kwantung Army Intelligence Section: “INTELLIGENCE SECTION: The defiant attitude of the enemy is a matter of degree. While it is indisputable that some of their forces continue defiant, their main force is still stationed west of the Luan River. Therefore, a defiant attitude on the part of the enemy is not sufficient reason to deal them a crushing blow. The Kwantung Army withdrew from the Luan River line only ten days ago. As we understand it, the purpose was to comply with the imperial wish. If the army begins operations on a flimsy pretext at this time, inviting intervention by the central leadership, how can the honor of the commander in chief be maintained? What we should now attack are rather the enemy forces facing the 8th Division. For this, we should employ additional strength. By dealing a severe blow to the Chinese Central Army forces in this area, we can threaten Peiping and the operation should be all the more effective.  OPERATIONS SECTION: Due to the limitations of our supply capacity, we cannot use more than a certain level of forces against the enemy facing the 8th Division. Since the enemy east of the Luan River maintains a defiant attitude, they must be punished regardless of their strength.  INTELLIGENCE SECTION: Since the seizure of Nant'ienmen the 8th Division lacks the capability of pursuing the enemy. This is an unavoidable consequence of the small strength of its force from the outset of the operation. Isn't the First [Operations] Section uncertain that the enemy can be defeated even by the main force of the 8th Division, and doesn't it intend ultimately to deploy the 6th Division southward in concert with action by the 8th Division? If this is the case, it is understandable, and this section is not necessarily against it.   OPERATIONS SECTION: That is not what this section is considering.  INTELLIGENCE SECTION: In that case, there is no clear justification for launching the operation. The objective of the operation must be plainly spelled out to all concerned, from His Majesty at the top down to the lowest private. There must not be the slightest doubt about it.” After this conversation the Intelligence department debated amongst themselves before relaying another response at midnight, ultimately not approving it. The next day the Operations department sent a telegram to the negotiations team in Peiping: “1) Under present conditions, the Kwantung Army has no intention of accepting a cease-fire proposal for the time being, particularly because there are signs suggesting intervention by third countries in the matter.  2) Previously the Kwantung Army suggested the Miyun-Yiit'ienLuan River line as the retreat line for the Chinese army; but this did not mean it was to be their front line after a cease-fire. It rather indicated a line to which the Chinese army should immediately and voluntarily retreat as evidence of their sincerity. In other words, a cease-fire cannot be negotiated until they retreat to this line and abandon their provocative attitude, and until this is confirmed by the Kwantung Army. Their mere retreat to the indicated line, in today's circumstances, is not sufficient reason for us to respond to the cease-fire proposal. According to Peking telegram 483 [not identified], it appears that the intentions of our army have been somewhat misunderstood. Even if the Chinese retreat to the indicated line and display the sincerity of their intentions, we may possibly demand a retreat line farther south. We believe negotiations in this region should be handled by the central leadership in Tokyo rather than by the Kwantung Army. Act on this understanding.”   So after this message, the Intelligence department accused the Operations department of trying to find any excuse to renew the advance and sent a wire to Nemoto on April 29th "If the Chinese suddenly perceive their mistake, . . . we will not make war for the fun of it." However the Intelligence department was suddenly overruled by Colonel Kita who cabled the negotiators that the Operations department now had full approval from Kwantung Army vice chief of staff Okamura Yasuji. When General Muto received this notice he questioned "This draft order, states that the enemy has moved into the region east of the Luan River and is showing a provocative attitude. I did not receive such a report from the Second [Intelligence] Section before my departure from Hsinching. Does this mean there has been a subsequent change in the situation?" After being informed more so, Muto simply stated he wished to wait until the chief of staff could speak to him. Obviously Muto was getting wet feet and did not want to perform any actions not in accordance with Tokyo HQ, as Emperor Hirohito had put his foot down.  On May 3rd, General Koiso and Operations Department staff officer Endo Saburo spoke with Muto, indicating they had approval of Tokyo HQ general staff and even the Emperor. So Muto relented for a second advance and issued Order 503 on May 3rd to the IJA 6th and 8th Divisions. Now the Army General Staff were dragged into the Kwantung Army's debacle fully. So they drew up an emergency draft plan for measures in North China. To this aim:  “Through continuing pressure by the military might of the Kwantung Army, applied in concert with various political measures in North China, the Chinese forces in North China are to be compelled to make a substantia] surrender or to dissolve, thereby resulting in the withdrawal of the Chinese army along the China-Manchukuo border and in the establishment of peace in this area”.  Added to this the General Staff suggested a large counteroffensive be driven along the Great Wall and a formal truce agreement should be concluded once three conditions had been met: “(a) that Chinese forces had retreated voluntarily south and west of a line connecting Hsuanhua, Shunyi, Sanho, Yüt'ien, Luanchou, and Lot'ing; (b) that anti-Japanese activities had been controlled; and (c) that the preceding had been verified by the Japanese army”. Under immense pressure from the renewed Japanese advance, the Chinese government on May 3rd, had pushed for a new body to tackle the North China situation. That was the Peiping Political Affairs Council. It was composed of 22 members, headed by Huang Fu. Huang Fu was notably a pro-Japanese official, having been a graduate of the Tokyo Land Survey department training institute and had served early as a minister of foreign affairs. Since China had zero faith anymore in the League of Nations and believed if they failed to resolve the North China issue, this all might see a new civil war break out between Chiang Kai-Shek and Wang Jingwei. Thus everyone felt the time for active resistance was over and they must place all their effort into negotiations. Chiang Kai-Shek placed a great amount of authority upon Huang Fu and trusted the man. Huang Fu began his new task by speaking with all the political and financial leaders from both sides of the conflict to see how a real ceasefire could be met through dealmaking.  Meanwhile on May 6th the IJA 6th Division unleashed a new offensive south of the Great Wall and were followed by the 8th Division on the 11th. General Muto at this time made public statements blaming the Chinese for the renewed hostilities, making it seem the Japanese had intended to stay within the Great Wall area. The 6th Division swept across the sector east of the Luan River and by the 11th the Chinese defensive line collapsed. On the 12th the 6th Division crossed the Luan River, pursuing Yu Xuechengs 51st Army. In turn this threatened He Yingqin's main force who were facing the 8th Division. In the previous battles, Yu Xuechengs men had performed quite poorly and now even under direct command of He Yingqin were proving themselves helpless against the 6th division. Additionally Itagaki's agency over in Tientsin were using radio facilities to dispatch false directives from Chinese high command, ordering the forces to retreat from the front battle line. Two to three Chinese divisions were neutralized by these fake radio messages and in turn the Chinese became very demoralized at their lines. The 8th division had driven into the Gubeikou area on the 11th and it took them only a day to dislodge the Chinese from their line near Xuxiachen. By the 13th Xuxiachen had fallen completely. On the 11th and 12th, Japanese aircraft began flying over Peiping, as a demonstration of the terror they could deliver to the city at any moment. These developments altogether were pushing the Chinese civilians to demand of their politicians and generals that they appease the Japanese. Huang Fu proposed to Nemoto on the 12th that all Chinese troops could be withdrawn from Miyun to a line extending from Shunyi to Yutien and Tangshan. This was an enormous concession and nearly mirrored the line the Japanese had demanded.  The Japanese however, rejected the concession. To make matters worse for the Chinese, He Yingqin had been notified of the large concession proposal in advance and expected the Japanese to take it. Thus he had refrained from operating in strength at Miyun and did not significantly defend the path towards Peiping. It was the belief of the Japanese commanders, if they performed a full-scale attack towards Peiping now, He Yingqin would have no choice but to withdraw towards Shunyi. With this in mind the Japanese made a proposal on the 14th:  “1) According to the reports of the Peiping military attaché, the 8th Division should be prepared to advance in a single sweep to the southern limit of Miyun, if it is deemed necessary. Preparations for this attack should be expedited.  2) In conjunction with the above, front-line aircraft should take actions implying that a major Japanese offensive is about to begin.  3) In Tokyo, it should be announced publicly, in liaison with the Foreign Ministry, that the security of Jehol province cannot be guaranteed as long as the Chinese army remains in Miyun. Furthermore, every so often Japanese aircraft should make demonstration flights over the Shunyi-T'ungchou area.” Confronted with this, the Chinese were pretty screwed. The Chinese negotiations team were frantically searching for any way to force a ceasefire. Then the secretary of the Shanghai legation, Suma Yakichiro showed up to Peiping, which the Chinese viewed as a golden opportunity. The Chinese complained to him that the Kwantung Army had resumed their offensive and that a political agency in Tientsin were trying to enact coups. Suma bluntly told them the Japanese actions were backed fully by Tokyo and despite the Chinese belief that this was false or that Japan was facing a major financial deficit, this was all untrue.  While the dialogue continued to go nowhere, the 6th division had pursued the Chinese forces to the vicinity of Fengjun. Muto believed this had gone to far so he issued orders on May 13th limiting operations to the area north of a line connecting Miyun, Pingkou, Fegjun and Yungping. Now the 6th and 8th divisions were to assemble around Xuxiachen and Zunhua. Two days later he issued this statement to the public "If the Chinese army immediately abandons its hitherto provocative attitude and withdraws some distance from the border, our army will quickly return to the line of the Great Wall and pursue its regular task of maintaining security in Manchukuo." Likewise Muto ordered the Tientsin group to inform the Chinese that the Kwantung Army would return to the Great Wall if the Chinese forces retreated to the Shunyi-Yutien-Tangshan line. Nemoto forwarded all of this to Chen Yi. On May 15th He Yingqin ordered the withdrawal of the Chinese forces to a line between Malanyu, Linnantsang and Pamencheng.  With what seemed a imminent ceasefire at hand, the Kwantung Army HQ ordered the 6th and 8th divisions to take up positions strategically favorable for the negotiations to finally begin in ernest. On the 17th a draft ceasefire plan was drawn up. It envisioned the withdrawal of the Chinese forces to the Shunyi-Yutien-Tangshan line and in return the Japanese would pull back to the Great Wall area. Huang Fu was on his way back to Peiping from Shanghai for probably the 10th time in two weeks, when the Japanese captured Fengjun and Zhunhua, routing the Chinese across the Qi Canal to the right bank of the Pai River. The 6th Division then advanced towards Yutien and Xumenchen as the 8th division stood around Xuxiachn. When the Chinese began retreating from Miyun on May 18th, the 8th division suddenly converged upon Miyun. Muto was of course delighted by their new advantageous position and even briefly began talking to his colleagues about the prospect of just marching upon Peiping. Instead he decided to sweep through Miyun, Pingku and the Qi Canal, going even further west than he had stated he would back on the 13th.  With these new orders in hand, the 6th Division quickly captured Qixien on the 19th and further pursued retreating Chinese forces to Sanho. The 8th Division entered Miyun and two days later began advancing to Huaijou. By the 23rd Huaijou had fallen as the 6th Division reached the Qi Canal. These advances threatened the Peiping-Tientsin region. Both Japanese divisions halted on the 25th as the ceasefire was issued. With that last strike Muto felt he had significantly increased their poker hand going forward. Meanwhile Itagaki's team at Tientsin were still trying to bring about a coup. In tandem with the 8th Divisions attack on Miyun, the agency tried to engineer a revolt by the militia troops led by Song Queyuan, Fang Chenwu, Sun Tienying, amongst others. The idea was for these forces to occupy Peiping while wrecking havoc upon the Chinese central army within th region. The agency had attempting recruiting Wu Peifu, but the old jade marshal was unwilling, so they turned to this former protege, the chairman of Hubei, Yu Xuecheng. However he also declined. Yu Xuecheng was also approached by Hu Hanmin, looking to form an anti-Chiang Kai-Shek campaign in cooperation with Han Fuqu and Feng Yuxiang. To this Yu Xuecheng declined as well. Itagaki kept searching for disgruntled warlords, and then turned to Li Qiashan and Xu Yusan. Xu Yusan was a former ally to Feng Yuxiang with a history of anti-Chiang Kai-Shek actions. If they got the backing of his personal army, roughly 10,000 men strong at Tangshan they could do some real damage. On May 16th Xu Yusan declared independence and took up the Manchukuo 5 color flag in direct opposition to the Kuomintang. He began issuing the slogan “Hubi for the people of Hubei” as his army marched west along the Peiping-Shanhaiguan railway. His force reached the vicinity of Tangu whereupon they had increased to 30,000 and rumors emerged they would occupy Tientsin. This began a mass panic. . . for literally a day. His army collapsed into nothing more than a rabble as now had the stomach to actually fight their fellow countrymen.  Despite this grand failure, the Tientsin group continued with other plots. At 8 pm on May 19th, a Peiping bound train from Tangu, carrying Chinese soldiers was bombed around Tientsin station. The Japanese love bombing trains as we all know. This resulted in small incidents involving Japanese and Chinese officials, giving precedent for 600 Japanese troops led by Lt General Nakamura Kotaro to reinforce Tientsin on May 23rd. There were a few other incidents were supposedly Chinese agents were tossing grenades at Japanese officials. One of these officials was Major Mori Takeshi of the Japanese Army General Staff who was working in Tientsin. However the grenade thrown at him was a dud, and before the Japanese could seize it, some local Chinese grabbed it, finding a stamp on it bearing “Tokyo Artillery Arsenal”, oops.  These numerous incidents influenced the Chinese who feared Japan was trying to force an invasion into North China. To these rumors, He Yingqin insisted they mount a proper defense of Peiping, but many were arguing they had to further retreat. Meanwhile the Tientsin agency was told to stop performing incidents and instead secure northern warlords to their future cause. I would like to take this time to remind you all that this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Please go subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry after that, give my personal channel a look over at The Pacific War Channel at Youtube, it would mean a lot to me. The battle for the Great Wall of China was coming to a bitter end for the Chinese forces. The Japanese were using every deceptive measure to edge further and further into China proper. It seemed clear to the Chinese, nothing would stop Japanese encroachment upon their nation, while the rest of the world simply watched on doing nothing. 

China has urged the United States to cancel its unilateral tariffs as quickly as possible, and get back on track to properly address differences through equal dialogue.中国敦促美方尽快取消单边关税，回到通过平等对话妥善处理分歧的正轨上来。If the US stubbornly pursues its course of a trade war, China will "fight till the end" to defend its legitimate rights and interests, Chinese officials said on Thursday.中国官员周四表示，如果美方一意孤行地打贸易战，中方将“誓死捍卫自身合法权益”。They didn't specify whether Beijing will again raise tariffs on US goods, which now stand at an additional 84 percent, in response to the latest decision by the US on Wednesday to raise the tariff on Chinese imports to 125 percent.中国官员并未具体说明北京是否会再次提高对美商品的关税。目前，美国对华商品的关税已高达84%，以回应美方周三将对华进口商品的关税提高至125%。The China Film Administration said on Thursday evening that the country—the world's second-largest film market—will moderately reduce the imports of US films.中国国家电影局周四晚间表示，作为全球第二大电影市场，中国将适度减少美国电影的进口。"The US government's abuse of tariffs against China will inevitably lead to a further decline in the favorable perception of US films among the Chinese audience," the administration said in an online statement. "We will adhere to the law of the market and respect the choices of the audience, and moderately reduce the number of US films imported."国家电影局发布声明表示：“美国政府滥用关税对华政策，必然导致中国观众对美国电影的好感度进一步下降。我们将遵循市场规律，尊重观众选择，适度减少美国电影的进口数量。”He Yongqian, spokeswoman for the Ministry of Commerce, said at a news conference on Thursday, "Our position is consistent and clear—the door to dialogue is open, but any discussions must be conducted on the basis of mutual respect and equality."中国商务部发言人何永乾周四在新闻发布会上表示：“中方立场是一贯和明确的——对话的大门是敞开的，但任何讨论都必须在相互尊重和平等的基础上进行。”However, she stressed the abuse of pressure, threats and extortion is not the way to engage with China.但她强调，滥用施压、威胁和勒索并非与中国交往之道。"We hope that the two countries will meet each other halfway and work toward resolving differences through dialogue and consultation, guided by the principles of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation," she added.她补充道：“我们希望两国相向而行，在相互尊重、和平共处、合作共赢的原则指导下，通过对话协商解决分歧。”She noted that the current bonded policies in the special supervision areas of China's free trade zones will still be applicable for US goods, specifying that taxes will still need to be duly paid once the US goods depart the designated areas and enter the Chinese market for sales.她指出，中国自贸区特殊监管区域内的现行保税政策仍将适用于美国商品，并明确规定美国商品离开指定区域进入中国市场销售后仍需按时缴纳税款。US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that he was pausing his new tariffs for 90 days except on China.美国总统唐纳德·特朗普周三表示，他将暂停对除中国以外的所有国家征收新关税90天。Trump said on social media that he had "authorized a 90-day PAUSE, and a substantially lowered Reciprocal Tariff during this period, of 10 percent, also effective immediately". He did not specify which countries the pause would apply to, but he was clear that the levies would climb for China.特朗普在社交媒体上表示，他已“授权暂停90天，并在此期间大幅降低10%的对等关税，同样即日生效”。他没有具体说明暂停措施将适用于哪些国家，但他明确表示，对中国的关税将有所提高。Gary Winslett, an assistant political science professor at Middlebury College in Vermont, said: "The 90-day pause is a step in the right direction, but the trade war with China is still bad, the universal 10 percent tariff is even worse, the on-again-off-again approach is bad for investment and jobs, and we further undermined geopolitical leadership with nothing to show for it."佛蒙特州明德学院政治学助理教授加里·温斯莱特表示：“90天的暂停是朝着正确方向迈出的一步，但与中国的贸易战本身依然有害，10%的普遍关税更糟糕，反复无常的政策令投资与就业环境雪上加霜，我们的地缘领导力也在不断被削弱。”Analysts noted that the Trump administration's 10 percent base tariff is still in place, suggesting that more rounds of tariff negotiations are ahead. The White House said that over 70 countries had come forward to negotiate tariffs this week.分析人士指出，特朗普政府10%的基准关税仍然有效，这表明未来还有更多轮关税谈判。白宫表示，本周已有超过70个国家提出就关税进行谈判。Luo Zhenxing, an associate research fellow at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences' Institute of American Studies, said that the US' selective approach to different countries allows Washington to maintain its image, as removing tariffs across the board could be seen as a setback. In addition, it shows that the Trump administration is using tariffs as a tool and weapon, likely targeting China, Luo added.中国社会科学院美国研究所副研究员罗振兴表示，美国对不同国家采取选择性措施，有助于维护自身形象，因为全面取消关税可能会被视为一种挫败。此外，这也表明特朗普政府正在将关税作为一种工具和武器，可能用于针对中国。Such moves by the US have severely disrupted the global trade system. Regardless of future policy directions, key global trade principles like the WTO's nondiscrimination rule have been significantly undermined, potentially leading to a restructuring of global trade and even global financial systems, Luo said.罗振兴表示，美国的此类举动严重扰乱了全球贸易体系。无论未来的政策走向如何，像世贸组织非歧视性规则这样的关键全球贸易原则都已受到严重破坏，这可能导致全球贸易乃至全球金融体系的重组。Lin Jian, spokesman for the Foreign Ministry, told a news conference on Thursday that China will never allow the international economic and trade rules and the multilateral trading system to be undermined.外交部发言人林剑周四在新闻发布会上表示，中国绝不允许国际经贸规则和多边贸易体制受到破坏。The US is placing its own interests above the legitimate interests of the rest of the world, sacrificing the just interests of all countries to serve its hegemonic ambitions, Lin said, adding that this will inevitably face stronger opposition from the international community.林坚表示，美国将自身利益置于世界其他国家的合法利益之上，为了实现其霸权野心不惜牺牲所有国家的正当利益，这必将遭到国际社会的强烈反对。China and the European Union have recently exchanged views on strengthening economic and trade cooperation in response to US tariff hikes.中国与欧盟近期就加强经贸合作应对美国加征关税交换了意见。The latest move came as Commerce Minister Wang Wentao held a video call on Tuesday with European Commissioner for Trade and Economic Security Maros Sefcovic, during which they discussed various issues, including enhancing China-EU economic and trade cooperation and responses to the US imposition of so-called "reciprocal tariffs", according to a statement released by the Commerce Ministry on Thursday.据中国商务部周四发布的声明，商务部长王文涛周二与欧盟贸易和经济安全委员谢夫乔维奇举行视频通话，就加强中欧经贸合作、应对美国加征所谓“对等关税”等议题进行了讨论。Wang said that under current circumstances, China and the EU jointly upholding the rules-based multilateral trading system and staying committed to trade liberalization and facilitation will "inject more stability and certainty into the global economic and trade landscape".王文涛表示，在当前形势下，中欧共同维护基于规则的多边贸易体制，坚持贸易自由化便利化，将“为全球经贸格局注入更多稳定性和确定性”。According to the statement, the two sides agreed to immediately start negotiations on electric vehicle pricing commitments, and resume the China-EU trade remedy dialogue mechanism.声明称，双方同意立即启动电动汽车价格承诺谈判，并重启中欧贸易救济对话机制。The European Union Chamber of Commerce in China said on Thursday that China has the chance to establish a business environment that can provide the stability and reliability that investors require.中国欧盟商会周四表示，中国有机会建立一个能够为投资者提供所需稳定性和可靠性的营商环境。On the contrary, the US is now rolling back on many of the principles that have underpinned its approach to global trade and investment, which has created unprecedented global economic uncertainty, the chamber said.该商会表示，相比之下，美国目前正在放弃其全球贸易和投资方针的许多原则，这造成了前所未有的全球经济不确定性。retaliationn.报复sanctionn.制裁levyv.征税equal dialogue平等对话hegemonicadj.霸权的multilateral trading system多边贸易体制

This is the Catchup on 3 Things by The Indian Express and I'm Ichha Sharma.Today is the 11th of April and here are this week's headlines.The US officially enforced a sweeping 104% tariff on all Chinese imports starting Wednesday, escalating its trade confrontation with Beijing. This move follows President Trump's ultimatum to China to withdraw its retaliatory 34% tariffs. China hit back sharply at Washington's escalating trade war rhetoric, saying it does not seek conflict but won't tolerate bullying either. US further escalated the situation with its decision to raise tariffs on Chinese goods to 125% while pausing tariffs for other nations. Responding to this, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said at a press briefing, “This cause will not win popular support and will end in failure.” Lin emphasized that Beijing will defend its people's rights, signaling that retaliatory action may still be on the table. Meanwhile, Asian markets surged on news of the 90-day tariff pause for other countries, with Japan's Nikkei 225 soaring 8%, South Korea's Kospi rising over 5%, and Australia's ASX 200 up 5% in early trading.In a landmark ruling, the Supreme Court declared Tamil Nadu Governor R N Ravi's decision to reserve 10 re-passed Bills for Presidential consideration as illegal. The court held that the Governor showed scant respect for judicial precedent and unduly delayed action. Using Article 142, the bench declared that the 10 Bills are deemed to have received assent, overriding the governor's withholding. This rare step sends a strong message about constitutional propriety and reinforces legislative autonomy amid growing tensions between elected governments and appointed constitutional heads.The Reserve Bank of India has slashed the repo rate by 25 basis points to 6% in its latest monetary policy review. This signals lower interest rates on home, personal, and auto loans soon. The Monetary Policy Committee also shifted its stance from "neutral" to "accommodative," hinting at more rate cuts ahead. GDP growth for 2025–26 has been revised down to 6.5% from 6.7%, while retail inflation is projected at 4%. Lower rates aim to boost borrowing and spending amid slowing economic momentum.Russia has formally invited Prime Minister Narendra Modi to attend its Victory Day Parade on May 9, commemorating 80 years since the end of World War II. Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko confirmed that the invitation has been sent, and the visit is under discussion. The gesture comes after Moscow confirmed President Putin's scheduled visit to India later this year. Russia has extended invitations to several “friendly nations,” reinforcing diplomatic ties amid ongoing geopolitical tensions. Modi's participation would signify India's balancing act in global power dynamics.A deadly Israeli airstrike hit a residential building in northern Gaza's Shijaiyah neighborhood on Wednesday, killing at least 23 people, including eight women and eight children, according to officials at Al-Ahly Hospital. The Gaza Health Ministry confirmed the toll and said rescue teams were still searching through rubble for survivors. Nearby buildings were also damaged, according to Gaza's civil defense, which operates under the Hamas-run government. The strike is the latest in a wave of intensifying attacks, as the humanitarian crisis worsens in the besieged Palestinian enclave with no signs of a ceasefire in sight.This was the CatchUp on 3 Things by The Indian Express.

This is the Catchup on 3 Things by The Indian Express and I'm Flora Swain.Today is the 10th of April and here are today's headlines.China Pushes Back Against U.S. Tariffs, Warns of ConsequencesChina hit back sharply at Washington's escalating trade war rhetoric, saying it does not seek conflict but won't tolerate bullying either. Responding to the U.S. decision to raise tariffs on Chinese goods to 125% while pausing tariffs for other nations, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said at a press briefing, “This cause will not win popular support and will end in failure.” Lin emphasized that Beijing will defend its people's rights, signaling that retaliatory action may still be on the table. Meanwhile, Asian markets surged on news of the 90-day tariff pause for other countries, with Japan's Nikkei 225 soaring 8%, South Korea's Kospi rising over 5%, and Australia's ASX 200 up 5% in early trading.India Steers Clear of U.S. Tariff Clash, Eyes Fall Trade PactIndia responded cautiously as U.S. President Donald Trump announced a temporary suspension of his sweeping reciprocal tariffs, which went into effect Wednesday. Just hours before the announcement, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar confirmed that India is actively engaging with Washington to finalize a bilateral trade agreement by the fall. Speaking at the News18 Rising Bharat Summit, Jaishankar avoided directly commenting on Trump's controversial statements about trade partners, saying only, “We've been constructive in our engagement, and so have they.” India appears to be walking a fine line—avoiding confrontation while quietly working to secure a stable trade relationship.Tahawwur Rana Extradited from U.S., Special Prosecutor AppointedIndia has taken a key step toward justice in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks case. The Ministry of Home Affairs on Wednesday night appointed a special public prosecutor for a three-year term to lead the prosecution of Tahawwur Rana, who is being extradited from the United States. Sources confirmed that a senior team from the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and intelligence services has taken custody of Rana, who is expected to arrive in Delhi by Thursday. Rana is accused of aiding the planning of the deadly 2008 attacks in Mumbai, which left more than 160 people dead.Kashmir Cleric Says Police Blocked Religious Meet Over Waqf ActMirwaiz Umar Farooq, the prominent religious leader and head of the Muttahida Majlis Ulema (MMU), accused Jammu and Kashmir police of halting a planned meeting of clerics at his Srinagar residence. The gathering was meant to discuss concerns over the Waqf Act, which governs religious endowments in the region. Calling the police action unjust, Mirwaiz said religious leaders must be allowed to deliberate peacefully. He added that a joint resolution would be read in mosques across the Valley on Friday. The MMU also pledged support to the All India Muslim Personal Law Board's legal challenge to the Act.Israeli Airstrike Kills 23 in Gaza as Conflict DeepensA deadly Israeli airstrike hit a residential building in northern Gaza's Shijaiyah neighborhood on Wednesday, killing at least 23 people, including eight women and eight children, according to officials at Al-Ahly Hospital. The Gaza Health Ministry confirmed the toll and said rescue teams were still searching through rubble for survivors. Nearby buildings were also damaged, according to Gaza's civil defense, which operates under the Hamas-run government. The strike is the latest in a wave of intensifying attacks, as the humanitarian crisis worsens in the besieged Palestinian enclave with no signs of a ceasefire in sight.That's all for today. This was the CatchUp on 3 Things by The Indian Express.

Gaza suffers as children and aid workers killed in Israeli bombardment "Tragedy deepens in Gaza as at least 322 children have been killed and 609 wounded in the past 10 days, UNICEF reports, after Israel resumed attacks. ""Children have again been plunged into deadly violence,"" warns UNICEF's Catherine Russell. Separately, Gaza's media office confirms 1,513 humanitarian workers killed in Israel's relentless bombardment. Meanwhile, The Palestinian presidency condemns forced evacuations in Rafah, calling them a violation of international law. Israel and Hamas remain at odds over key conditions, including prisoner releases and military withdrawal." French court bans Marine Le Pen from office over EU funds scandal "French political circles are in turmoil. Marine Le Pen's electoral ambitions face a stunning blow as a court imposes a five-year ban after she was found guilty of embezzling European Union funds. International figures, including US President Donald Trump and his billionaire supporter Elon Musk, decry the ruling as politically motivated. Le Pen vows to appeal, insisting she's ""eliminated,"" not defeated. Her National Rally party now weighs its options, with 29-year-old protege and the party leader Jordan Bardella potentially stepping into the spotlight." Myanmar declares national mourning as earthquake deaths surpass 2,000 "Myanmar declared a week of national mourning on Monday following a devastating 7.7-magnitude earthquake that claimed over 2,000 lives. The ruling junta announced flags would fly at half-mast until April 6 in honour of the victims. Rescue efforts have slowed in Mandalay, the worst-hit city, as fears of aftershocks persist. Thousands are still living on the streets, and with communication networks disrupted, the true scale of the disaster remains uncertain. At least 3,900 people are injured, and hundreds are still missing." Khamenei warns Trump that Iran will retaliate firmly against aggression "Iran's Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, responded sharply to US President Donald Trump's threat of ""bombing,"" warning that any external aggression would prompt a ""firm retaliatory blow."" Addressing a congregation in Tehran, Khamenei emphasised Iran's readiness for any confrontation. Meanwhile, Iran rejected direct talks with the US but remains open to indirect negotiations. Iran's Foreign Ministry condemned Trump's remarks as a “shocking affront to international peace.”" France fines Apple over its app tracking transparency practices "French antitrust authorities have slapped Apple with a $162 million fine over its App Tracking Transparency or ATT feature. The watchdog argued that the implementation of ATT was excessive and harmed third-party publishers. The system, which debuted in 2021, requires users to opt-in before tracking across apps, with critics accusing Apple of using it to promote its own advertising. Despite the fine, Apple maintained the feature gives users greater control over privacy and has strong support globally. Investigations are ongoing in several European countries."

Seoul expresses deep regret over Japanese textbooks claiming sovereignty over Dokdo작성자: 최정윤, Tannith Kriel기사 요약: 일본이 "독도는 일본 땅"이라는 내용 담은 교과서를 전국적으로 배포하면서 한국 외교부가 유감 표현[1] Seoul's Foreign Ministry on Tuesday expressed “deep regret” over Tokyo's recent approval of school textbooks reinforcing its territorial claims to South Korea's easternmost islets of Dokdo.regret: 유감 / 후회하다, 안타깝게 생각하다reinforce: 강화하다, 증강하다territorial: 영토의, 세력권을 주장하는[2] Japan's Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology approved 31 school textbooks in the social studies category, which includes geography and history, that contain “unfair claims” over Dokdo.contain: 포함하고 있다, 방지하다unfair: 부당한[3] The textbooks, which label Dokdo as “Japan's sovereign territory” will be distributed for use at high schools across the country from 2026.sovereign: 군주, 통치권이 있는distribute: 배포하다, 유통하다,[4] In response to Tokyo's decision announced earlier in the day, Seoul's Foreign Ministry released a statement saying that it would not condone any sovereignty claims by Japan about Dokdo and called for the authorities to make corrections of such contents in the textbookcondone: 용납하다기사 원문: https://www.koreaherald.com/article/10449939

China has expressed its readiness to do its best to provide emergency humanitarian assistance to quake-hit regions in Myanmar. The Chinese Foreign Ministry said Myanmar is China's friendly neighbor and China is closely following the situation after the earthquake.

Hundreds of people have been killed in Gaza after Israel broke a ceasefire and unleashed a huge bombardment across the territory on Tuesday morning. Israel says it was a "pre-emptive strike" targeting military commanders, leadership officials and terrorist infrastructure. Israel's Foreign Ministry adddd that Hamas refused to extend the ceasefire. Correspondent Jeremy Diamond has the details.  Also on today's show: Olga Cherevko, Spokesperson, UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs; Oleksiy Goncharenko, Ukrainian Member of Parliament; Simon Harris, Irish Foreign Minister; Derek Thompson and Ezra Klein, co-authors of "Abundance"   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Former Ambassador to Germany, and vice director general of the Foreign Ministry, Jeremy Issacharoff said that the new mainstream conservative government would likely remain committed to Israel’s security. He told reporter Arieh O’Sullivan that Merz could have a more favorable relationship with the Netanyahu government. (photo: Martin Meissner/AP) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome to The Times of Israel’s Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what’s happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world. Diplomatic reporter Lazar Berman joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan on today’s show. Israeli and regional media is rife with headlines about an imminent potential Gaza hostage release deal. However, after a Saudi outlet published a list it received from Hamas of 34 hostages the terror organization says would be freed in the first phase of a potential hostage-ceasefire deal, the Prime Minister’s Office puts out a statement stressing that the document is merely an Israeli list that was given to the mediating countries in July 2024. Berman updates us on what is going on. US special envoy Amos Hochstein has just landed in Beirut. This comes a day after Defense Minister Israel Katz warned that Israel will be “forced to act” if Hezbollah does not pull back from southern Lebanon as stipulated in the ceasefire agreement. What is happening with the temporary truce agreement? As Syria’s new government strives to gain international legitimacy after overthrowing the Bashar al-Assad regime, Western countries seem open to giving a chance to the government led by Ahmed al-Sharaa, head of the Islamist Hayat Tahrir al-Sham group. Berman explains how Israel is sounding the alarm. An Israel Defense Forces soldier who survived Hamas’s attack at the Nova music festival on October 7, 2023, hurriedly ended his vacation in Brazil on Sunday morning after the country’s Federal Court ordered police to open a war crimes investigation into him, according to Brazilian media. Another 11 soldiers across the globe were warned by the Foreign Ministry. Berman weighs in. For news updates, please check out The Times of Israel’s ongoing live blog. Discussed articles include: Leaked list names 34 hostages to be freed in 1st stage of Gaza deal; Israel denies progress Hamas said to okay list of 34 hostages to be freed, but refuses to detail who’s alive Katz warns ceasefire in jeopardy if Hezbollah doesn’t withdraw from south Lebanon As European and Arab leaders rush to meet Syria’s new leader, Israel calls for caution IDF soldier who survived Nova massacre escapes war crimes investigation in Brazil Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by Nomi Studios. IMAGE: A protester with her hands bound and mouth taped shut holds a placard during a demonstration calling for the release of hostages held captive in Gaza by Hamas terrorists since the October 7 attacks, outside the Defense Ministry headquarters in Tel Aviv on January 4, 2025. (Jack Guez / AFP)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's Christmas Eve Tuesday, December 24th, A.D. 2024. This is The Worldview in 5 Minutes written by Kevin Swanson and heard on 125 radio stations and at www.TheWorldview.com.  Filling in for Adam McMannus I'm Ean Leppin. National Association of Realtors Attacks Free Speech The US National Association of Realtors has slammed a Christian realtor in Virginia for his stance taken for the cause of righteousness. Wilson Fauber was declared guilty by the NAR ethics panel for “harassing speech” and “hate speech.”  Fauber's social media posts espoused traditional Christian views on marriage and sexuality. He shared comments from Franklin Graham and other Christian leaders online. In a statement released by the Founding Freedoms Law Center (FFLC), Fauber said: “In 44 years as a realtor, I have loved and served all people. Regularly, I hear from other faith-based realtors that live in fear of being similarly prosecuted for their faith, and potentially losing their livelihoods, if they don't hide their faith well enough."  Fauber's attorneys are seeking out other legal options in the case. In an interview with CBN News Fauber's attorney with the Founding Freedoms Law Center, Michael Sylvester said this concerning the case. SYLVESTER: “If speaking the Bible is hate-speech, we've really reached a new low, because we used to value our professions because of the values that they bring into society. So, we really need to say, 'no' to large-scale private censorship, and allow free speech again, instead of the censorship that we're seeing.” So what are Wilson Fauber's plans in pursuing this legally? FAUBER: “I'm adamant about pursuing the case. I believe the Lord has called me for such a time as this, to be His voice on this particular matter. [H]e has given me His peace. I feel strong about this, and I'm going to do everything I can to expose everything that is going on, and try to right the wrong, because this really isn't just about me. The National Association of Realtors has over 1,500,000 paying members, and so we're all under the same ordinance and these policies that are very binding on our lives 24/7. And, I don't think that that's right.” Jesus said, “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. 12 Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you. Biden Pardons Murderers The President of the United States, Joe Biden, has issued clemency for America's worst criminals. He has commuted the sentences of 37 out of 40, the murderers convicted in federal courts over the years, reclassifying their sentences to life without the possibility of parole. The victims of the 37 include law enforcement officers and children. Some were guilty of murdering multiple victims, including drug lord, Kaboni Savage who lived up to his name - responsible for the murder of 12 people. Having pardoned 65 individuals, and commuting sentences of 1,634 others, President Biden has issued more pardons than any president in a 4 year term. U.S. Gives Over $2 Billion to Taiwan U.S. President Joe Biden has authorized up to $571 million of defense assets for Taiwan's defense program. That will take the US contributions to Taiwan in 2024 to $2.7 billion — the first major support for the island country since 1970. In response, China's Foreign Ministry issued a statement laced in threats, quote, “To aid “Taiwan independence” by arming Taiwan is just like playing with fire and will get the US burned.” Taiwan's GDP is about 6% that of communist China, with a population of 1.6% of China's. Taiwan's free market has enabled about 4 times the productivity of the communist nation.  American View of China at an All-Time Low The average American's view of China has hit an all-time low, positivity dropping from 53% in 1986 to 26% in the 2024 survey. The Surveys have been conducted by the Chicago Council on Global Affairs since 1978. Majorities of Americans want to limit the growth of China's power, view China as a US rival, and say US-China trade weakens US national security.  Communist China's portion of the World Gross Product has expanded from 2.05% in 1980 to 19% in 2024. The US share of the World Gross Product has remained about the same — around 25%. El Salvador Pressured to Allow Abortion In 2013, an El Salvadoran woman with health problems lost her baby by C-section. She had earlier requested an abortion, but could not get it in a pro-life country. The mother's life was intact, but the case was appealed to a progressive, multinational court called the Inter-American Court of Human Rights (IACHR). The court found the government of El Salvador “responsible for violating the American Convention on Human Rights,” and ordered the nation to “amend existing medical protocols” to allow for abortion in similar cases. Remember Those Suffering From Hunger This Christmas, remember those suffering from severe hunger — Haiti, Sudan, South Sudan, Congo, Chad, Niger, and Somalia.  As of October 24, Somalia had “the second-highest undernourishment rate (over 51%), and the third-highest child mortality rate (over 10%)”North Korea has the highest undernourishment rate in the world. Starvation problems have reached 2008-2009 proportions, according to a report from the World Health Organization.  Story of the Author Behind "Silent Night" On December 24, 1818, Father Joseph Mohr of Oberndorf, Austria, was dealing with flooding in his chapel, and a damaged organ. He walked three kilometers to visit his organist friend, Franz Gruber, with a request. . . that he compose a Christmas tune to accommodate 6 verses of a poem he had written two years earlier —- to be accompanied by a simple guitar later that evening. Gruber returned two hours later with the music of a Christmas carol that would be included in almost every Christmas Eve service for the next two hundred years. Silent Night. Holy Night. All is Calm. All is Bright. Round Yon Virgin Mother and Child. Holy infant so tender and mild. Sleep in Heavenly Peace. Silent night! Holy night!. . . Shepherds quake at the sight! Glories stream from heaven afar, Heavenly hosts sing Alleluia! Christ the Saviour is born! Christ the Saviour is born! A blessed Christmas to our listeners, as we celebrate the birth of the very Son of God, the Savior of the world!  “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.” Close And that's The Worldview on this Monday, December 23rd, in the year of our Lord 2024. Subscribe by Amazon Music or by iTunes or email to our unique Christian newscast at www.TheWorldview.com. Or get the Generations app through Google Play or The App Store. I'm Ean Leppin feel free to email me contact@eanvoiceit. Seize the day for Jesus Christ.